Mayor denies outbreak in islands

The Municipality of Daanbantayan in northern Cebu distributed Aquatab to treat unsafe water in the islands of Malapascua and Carnaza where people have reportedly fallen ill.

Daanbanyan Mayor Vicente Loot also contradicted reports of an outbreak, saying the 101 people who got sick is the figure for the whole month.

The mayor said they documented 50 cases scattered in different sitios in the islands.

This was confirmed by Rennan Cimafranca, chief of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit ( Resu) 7 of the Department of Health (DOH) 7.

The 101 patients were report- ed by Dr. Merle Vesda, the municipal health officer, he said.

He said they left medicines and the water treatment at the Municipal Health Office because big waves have prevented them from going to the affected areas.

Loot, for his part, said that based on documented accounts, only nine persons were reported as seriously ill and were immediately given medical attention-- three at the Dublin Medical Clinic, three at the Daanbantayan District Hospital and three at the Barangay Health Center.

“All of them are already safe now,” Loot said.

According to the mayor, the patients who were treated at the Dublin Medical Clinic suffered from e.coli contamination.

He explained that the residents have shallow toilet septic tanks and one damaged deep well was converted into an open well.

Loot said that while they encouraged residents to boil their water, they also distributed Aquatab to disinfect contaminated water, and medicines which are good for one month, including those prescribed for coughs and colds.