Island in Daanbantayan declares diarrhea outbreak

A map of Daanbantayan (photo grabbed from google maps)

THE Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) has declared a diarrhea outbreak on Carnaza Island in Daanbantayan town, northern Cebu since last Monday after several people fell ill allegedly due to contaminated water.

Dr. Rennan Cimafranca, head of the Regional Epidemiological and Surveillance Unit (Resu-7), said diarrhea cases recorded in the area since the first week of February have reached 101.

“Three people were admitted at Daanbantayan District Hospital, while 11 others were brought to Dublin Medical and Maternity Clinic,” Cimafranca said.

Cebu Provincial Health Office head Dr. Rene Catan said that water samples taken from the eight wells in the island were found positive of fecal coliform based on the examination by Resu-7.

As a result, Catan said the residents got their water supply from the neighboring island in Leyte. However, Catan said the water shipped from Leyte was also found as contaminated.

Most of the patients were in their early 20s, with an eight-month-old being the youngest and a 70-year-old as the oldest, Catan said.

“We have provided antibiotics and told people to conduct household chlorination,” Dr. Cimafranca said in a phone interview.

Carnaza Island can be reached through a two-hour and 30-minute boat ride from Daanbantayan.

In a phone interview, Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot said that three days before DOH-7 declared an outbreak, they have already contained the disease.

“We distributed aquatabs, chlorinated and cleaned the water sources. I also instructed the district health office to chlorinate water sources in the island every month,” Loot said.

Additional health workers will be deployed on Carnaza Island to distribute medicines to the households. He also ordered to close the wells that are near to comfort rooms.