DOH: 226 new cases of suspected typhoid fever reported in Quezon

MANILA, Philippines - Some 226 new cases of suspected typhoid fever have been reported in Real town in the southern Philippine province of Quezon, the Department of Health said Monday. Health secretary Francisco Duque III said this brings to the total number of patients hospitalized due to fever in the province to 370. Duque said they are still confirming if the new patients are indeed suffering from typhoid fever. “The cases appear to be increasing because many are seeking treatment, but not all those are confirmed typhoid cases. We just have to treat them even if they are just suspected typhoid cases,” he said. The patients are currently confined at the Claro Recto Memorial District Hospital. Initially, 144 cases of typhoid fever, including one death, were recorded at the district hospital. Duque said a team of health experts has already been deployed in Quezon to help in treatment of the patients and in controlling the spread of the typhoid fever. Asde from sending medical experts, Duque sad they have provided the local government of Quezon some P800,000 worth of drugs and other necessary equipment to control the outbreak. Typhoid fever is an illness caused by the bacterium salmonella enterica serovar typhi. It is transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, profuse sweating, gastroenteritis, and non-bloody diarrhea. - GMANews.TV