BACOLOD City – The City Health Office (CHO) declared a cholera outbreak in Barangay Alijis after confirming three more cases.
City Health Officer Ma. Carmela Gensoli issued Advisory No. 01 on Tuesday, Oct. 25, declaring the outbreak.
Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on health and sanitation, said a meeting led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez was held on the same day, together with the CHO, among others, after learning of the situation.
A taskforce composed of sanitation inspectors from the CHO and barangay personnel will conduct monitoring.
He also disclosed that patients who are living in separate puroks are recovering and under observation.
The CHO is also coordinating with the barangay health station; conducting investigations and epidemiological surveillance of suspected and confirmed cases; and collecting water samples.
Sanitation inspectors continue to monitor water refilling stations, too, as well as levels 1 and 2 sources.
The Philippine Statistics Authority defines a level 1 water source as a protected well or a developed spring with an outlet but without a distribution system, while a level 2 water source is a communal faucet system or standpost.
Gensoli said cholera is caused by ingesting water or food that has been contaminated by the cholera bacterium, causing the infected person to suffer from severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Earlier, the city health officer disclosed that there were nine confirmed cholera cases in the city.
Aside from Alijis, other barangays with cholera cases were Sum-ag (2); Mansilingan, Tangub, Barangay 40, and Granada, with one each./PN