12 Hospitalized Due to ‘Red Tide’ in Bohol

Tagbilaran City (PNA) — Twelve persons have now landed in different hospitals of Bohol province due to red tide poisoning.

Three alleged victims were added to the nine who were confined at hospitals earlier as confirmed by hospital authorities as a result of red tide, Cresecencio Pahamutang of the Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Bohol said in an interview on Wednesday.

The victims, whose identities were not disclosed by hospital authorities, are mostly coming from two barangays of nearby Dauis town, he said. Some of them were already discharged from the hospitals.

The information on red tide phenomenon was also reported by Nimfa Mesina, BFAR information officer, during the monthly meeting of the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) of Bohol attended by Minerva Newman, regional director, Philippine Information Agency-Region 7.

The red tide incident has prompted Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot to issue an advisory to all Rural Health Units in the municipalities. Cabagnot informed his colleagues in the profession and the public that based on BFAR information relayed by Regional Director Andres Bojos “concerning the presence of red tide-causing organisms found in shellfish samples from sea waters in the vicinity of Dauis, Bohol.

The advisory serves as warning to the public on the danger of red tide that poses health hazard to the consuming public, Cabagnot said.

Pahamutang said that his office is also advising the public to avoid eating all kinds of shellfish, including crustaceans, such as “lambay” or “kasag.” Crustaceans, he said, are hard to clean of their digestive system.

Eating fish species is alright provided they are thoroughly washed with running water. Also, the digestive organs and gills must be removed from the fish, he added.

In his message to Governor Edgar Chatto, Bojos hastened to say: “Usually, the cause of red tide is being attributed to sudden or abrupt changes in seawater parameters like temperature, salinity, organic load and other factors.”

“The cyst of the red tide causing organism (pysidinium bahamensi) lie dormant in the sea bottom waiting for favorable condition to bloom (multiply) and when eaten by filter feeder organisms like shellfish will accumulate in their guts (stomach) and when eaten by any person is very fatal,” Bojos explained. (PNA) LAP/RVO/EDS