The incidence of cholera is manifestly on the rise based on last year’s data, but authorities gave assurance that the disease remained manageable.
Department of Health (DOH) figures showed a total of 5,860 cholera cases were recorded from January 1 to November 26, this year, indicating a 282-percent increase over the same period last year.
The DOH data revealed that from January 1 to November 26, 2021, there were only 1,534 cholera cases in the country.
Based on the surveillance records, Eastern Visayas was highest at 3,620 cases (62 percent), followed by the Davao Region with 810 cases (14 percent), and Central Luzon with 336 cases (6 percent).
Meanwhile, from October 30 to November 26 this year, there were 640 cholera cases recorded.
Eastern Visayas again topped the list with the highest number of cholera cases recently at 472 (74 percent).
Western Visayas comes next with 50 cases (8 percent), and Central Luzon with 37 cases (6 percent).
Nationwide, the death toll nationally due to cholera also jumped to 67, representing 1.1 case fatality rate.
Nonetheless, the DOH said that no local government has declared a cholera outbreak as cases remained “manageable” due to the coordination of hospitals and DOH in monitoring and treating patients.
“We have many teams on-ground addressing our current cholera cases, while we further strengthen our surveillance and response systems nationwide,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement.
The DOH said they also provide assistance to critical areas to ensure patients have access to treatments, as well as potable water.
The DOH also coordinates with concerned agencies through the Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health to improve their water, sanitation and hygiene services to ensure public health and reduce the risk of getting diarrheal diseases.
The DOH, through its Centers for Health Developments, and local government units continuously implements drinking water quality surveillance programs, and sanitation concerns to ensure that open defecation practices are eliminated and there is a proper disposal of feces and sewage waste.
The DOH further advised the people to practice safe food preparation and storage especially at the household to prevent reproduction of pathogens.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) here continues to monitor water and food sources as more cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and cholera have been reported this month.
Data released by the CHO showed there were 486 hospital admissions, of which 30 were afflicted with cholera.
The latest 23 cases, including 21 AGE and two cholera patients, were reported from Dec. 4 to 10.
At least 17 deaths related to these two diseases have been confirmed between Sept. 11 and Dec. 3.
City health officer Dr. Maria Carmela Gensoli said over the past week, they heightened the inspection of school canteens and toilets as well as water refilling stations and conducted rapid water testing and disinfection of wells in various villages.
Health personnel also assisted in the deworming of ambulant vendors selling in several areas around the city, she added.
Gensoli recommended further regulation of water refilling stations through monthly monitoring and full closure orders for lack of permits or water monitoring status.
She said they also plan to assign sanitation inspectors to give technical assistance to the barangays in the interpretation of water sampling results.
The CHO is poised to conduct basic food safety courses to equip barangay personnel in regulating ambulant food vendors by registering them for ease of tracking.