17 feared dead as diarrhea hits Palawan indigenous community

source: gma

At least 17 indigenous people from Barangay Culandanum in Bataraza town in Palawan province are feared dead after a diarrhea outbreak hit the area, local health officials said Monday.



Provincial health officer Dr. Ed Cruz told GMA News Online that at least 17 members of the Palawan tribe were reported to have died and more are believed to be suffering from diarrhea, although no official count has been released by the city health office as a health team is on its way to the site.

The estimated number of those feared dead was based on information obtained from village officials there, Cruz said.

Cruz said the diarrhea outbreak may have been caused by a contamination in the water source, as it has been raining in the area since last week. He said the health team sent to the area will collect water samples, which will be sent to a laboratory for examination.

He added that the Health Department is having difficulty reaching the barangay, located in a remote area in southern Palawan, as it is a five-hour walk from the center of Bataraza town.

Cruz said poor sanitation has been a health concern for members of the indigenous tribe, which is considered a mobile population and often uses free-flowing water for their everyday needs. Due to the tribe's lifestyle, he said the quality of the water source in the area has been "questionable."

"Kahit gusto nating baguhin ang kanilang lifestyle, na para sa kanila rin naman, hindi ganoon kadaling baguhin 'yan (It's not that easy to change their lifestyle, even if the health department wants to change it for their sake)," he said.

Residents of the barangay were warned not to drink water from the area without boiling it first, Cruz said.

According to the World Health Organization website, diarrhea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day, or more frequently than is normal for the individual. It is usually a symptom of gastrointestinal infection, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms.

Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person to person as a result of poor hygiene. Severe diarrhoea leads to fluid loss, and may be life-threatening, particularly in young children and people who are malnourished or have impaired immunity, the WHO added.

DOH warning

Meanwhile, the Health Department issued a warning to the public to be wary of diarrhea and other diseases that may strike during the summer.

Radio dzBB's Cecilia Villarosa reported such diseases include food- and water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and Hepatitis-A.

The public was also warned against sore eyes and measles, as well as mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.

Filipinos were also advised to take precautions to prevent food poisoning and diarrhea, as well as heat stroke, sunburn and prickly heat.

They were likewise advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight lest they suffer from heat exhaustion and heat stroke.


source: gma