Man dies in Iloilo City; alert up vs typhoid fever

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered for an intensified monitoring in the city's waterfront barangays following the occurrence of typhoid fever in one of the said areas last week. The City Health Office, Metro Iloilo Water District, Association of Barangay Captains, Task Force Waterfront and several other agencies were alerted to monitor the area after a 35-year-old male was found to have died due to typhoid fever. Waterfront barangays under strict monitoring are Mueller Loney, Zamora , Veterans Village , General Hudges and Sto. Rosario-Duran. Among other activities that the City Government will conduct is the testing of drinking water and food sold from city transient vendors. City Health Officer Urminico Baronda said though the reported death in the waterfront area is not yet considered an outbreak of the disease, it is important to be more prepared. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has earlier directed the Department of Health (DOH) to look into the increasing incidence of typhoid cases in Calamba City, Laguna. The President instructed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to personally look after the plight of those who were stricken by typhoid fever. Calamba City Health Officer Arsenio Lagos said as of March 3, there were 1,041 reported cases of typhoid infection in 10 barangays in Calamba. Based on their initial investigation typhoid bacteria were probably passed on through the water. Typhoid is a communicable disease characterized by fever, diarrhea, prostration, apathy, headache, eruption of rose spots, leukopenia, and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and caused by the Salmonella Typhi bacteria that can be either transmitted through food and water intake. - Sun.Star