BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – The City Health Office (CHO) logged more cases and deaths due to acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and cholera.
From 90, AGE and cholera cases significantly increased to 228, data released by the CHO-City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) as of Aug. 31 showed.
Of the 228, eight are cholera cases, which also increased from just three after more rectal swab results were released by the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
CESU head Dr. Marigold Calsas said 115 of the total AGE cases have already recovered, 53 are still in hospitals while 52 are still active but not hospitalized.
Meantime, deaths due to AGE have also increased from five – including the first death recorded in March – to eight.
The new deaths involved a five-year-old boy from Molo Boulevard; 11-month-old baby girl from Santo Rosario-Duran, City Proper; and a 63-year-old female from Ma. Clara, City Proper.
The fatalities experienced loose stool, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dizziness.
Of the eight cholera cases, only one is currently in the hospital the rest have already recovered.
On the other hand, the district cluster with the highest number of AGE and cholera cases are Tanza (City Proper) with 58 cases followed by Molo with 51, Sto. Rosario-Duran (City Proper) – 30, Jaro I – 20, Arevalo – 20, Lapuz – 12, La Paz – 11, and Jaro II – six.
Majority of the cases are ages one to 10 years old with a total of 102 cases followed by 11 to 20 years old with 37 cases; less than one year old with 21 cases; 21 to 30 years old with 19 cases; 31 to 40 years old with 18 cases; and the rest of the cases are those 41 years old and above.
The CHO has already declared an outbreak because of these food and water-borne diseases.
Following the declaration, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has recommended to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) to declare the city under a state of calamity.
Today, Sept. 2, the SP will convene in a special session to tackle the recommendation of the CDRRMC./PN
