Zamboanga City officials fear possibility of norovirus outbreak

Health officials in Zamboanga City have expressed fears over the possibility of a norovirus outbreak in the city.

Citing city official, GMA News' Jayvee Francisco on Thursday reported on Unang Balita that the number of cases of diarrhea, one of the symptoms of norovirus, is on the rise.

Zamboanga City Health Officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos was quoted in the report as saying that  norovirus infection was the cause of the diarrhea among patients as shown by laboratory test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

A total of 702 case of diarrhea have been recorded in the city so far— three of those infected were chldren below 5 years old, the report said.

An inmate of the Zamboanga City Jail was reported to have died of the disease, the report added.

Health officials have advised residents to observe proper hygiene and make sure that the water they drink is clean and safe.

Norovirus is highly contagious and some of its symptoms include severe stomach flu, diarrhea, vomiting, low fever, and headaches.

The report said health official at the Zambaonga City Medical Center believed there is already a diarrhea outbreak in the city due to the number of patients there, the report added. — LBG, GMA News