Typhoid Outbreak in Borbon Town Contained

Just days after the outbreak of typhoid fever was declared in Borbon town, the Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) on Friday announced that the problem has already been contained.

“June 26, two cases ra na-added. Data was from main health center sa Logo. Nanawag ko karon kung naa ba’y additional, ingun wala na g’yud,” said Jun Salgado of PHO.

Salgado said the six patients admitted separately in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Chong Hua Hospital and North General Hospital and three others in three different district hospitals were already discharged.

Rosalinda Jao, also of PHO, said they have continued their health education campaign in Borbon, even in barangays not affected by the outbreak. They also told the people to boil their water before drinking.

Jao admitted that the six barangays inflicted by typhoid sourced out their water from a well, which was contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria (E.Coli).

From the start until yesterday, 82 were down with typhoid, some of them were children.

“Katong barangay nga affected and not affected gihatagan og health education. Ang mga water sa areas positive sa e.coli, ang gihimo nila didto nag-chlorinate,” said Jao. She added the town is also planning to purchase a chlorinator machine for the town’s water sources.

But while the chlorinator still to be purchased, Jao said, “we are trying to educate the people, mag-init sa tubig, proper sanitation, and household chlorination.”

The PHO and other allied groups are “closely monitoring blood samples and water samples” in Borbon to ensure that the outbreak will be a history in no time, Jao said.