Via Rappler.com, a report datelined Manila: Cholera outbreak declared in Virac, Catanduanes. Excerpt:
The health department on Friday, June 15, declared a cholera outbreak in Virac, Catanduanes.
This is after 748 individuals were confirmed to have contracted Vibrio cholerae--the bacteria that causes cholera--from Jan. 1 to June 13, 2012, a ranking health official said.
Health undersecretary Ted Herbosa said that of these cases, 8 individuals were confirmed to have died from cholera in the province. Six of those who died were from Virac while 1 each were from the towns of San Miguel and Pandan.
"There were other deaths but not in hospitals," Herbosa said. Because of this, he said, it could not be confirmed if the deaths were due to cholera.
Cases in other towns
The 748 cases are part of some 1,370 presumed cholera cases recorded in the entire Catanduanes during this period, according to Herbosa.
The rest of the presumed cases came from 11 other towns, with 307 cases from San Andres; 82 from San Miguel; 27 from Viga and 52 from Pandan.
But while the victims in these towns were manifesting cholera-like symptoms, the DOH is still waiting for the results of the laboratory tests to validate if it was, indeed, cholera.
“Right now, there is a diarrhea outbreak in towns outside of Virac. It is not yet cholera outbreak,” he said.
