Iligan officials seeking anti-tetanus medicines for Sendong wounded

Aside from food, water and clothing, officials of Iligan City are asking donors for anti-tetanus medicines after noting several cases of the condition in the city's flood-affected areas.

 

City public information officer Melvin Anggot on Tuesday cited initial reports that at least two villages have reported cases of the potentially fatal disease.

 

"’Yung problema sa ibang evacuation centers kasi may ibang nasugatan. [Kailangan ng] anti-tetanus medicine. Nalaman din natin na may iilang lugar na nangangailangan ng pang-inom na tubig (In some evacuation centers, there are some survivors who have wounds, so we need anti-tetanus medicine. We also learned residents in many areas still need drinking water)," Anggot said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

He said that while they have yet to get figures on the number of residents infected by tetanus, two villages—San Roque and Bagong Silang—have reported cases of tetanus.

 

While Bagong Silang was not devastated, it was one of the areas affected by floodwaters, he added.

 

Tetanus is an infectious disease resulting from the contamination of wounds by the bacteria spores Clostridium tetani, eMedicineHealth.com website said. It may also be caused by the spores the bacteria produce that live in the soil and animal feces.

 

Muscle spasms, lockjaw, and in severe cases, death may result.

 

283 died, 200 missing

 

Meanwhile, Anggot said that as of early Tuesday, the city had registered 283 deaths from "Sendong." More than 200 still remain missing.

 

There is no shortage of coffins yet as the City Mayor's Office technical division was making the coffins, Anggot said.

 

There is also enough supply of formalin, he said. –KG, GMA News