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Friday, August 08, 2003
Typhoid fever downs 50 students in Calasiao
By Fred P. Macaraeg
CALASIAO -- Municipal, health and school officials are alarmed over the sudden increase of typhoid fever cases in the town after the initial 20 patients ballooned to 50 in just two days.
"It is alarming because typhoid fever is contagious," said Dr. Arturo de Vera, municipal health officer.
He said most of the victims, or around 40 of them, are students of the Calasiao Comprehensive National High School (CCNHS).
"The number is based on data gathered from government hospitals, like the Pangasinan provincial hospital and the Region I Medical Center," said De Vera, adding they have yet to contact the private hospitals which may have admitted other patients suffering from the illness.
Municipal Administrator Godofredo Vergara said most of the students inflicted with typhoid fever are in their second year in high school, their ages ranging from 13 to 15 years old.
The rest of the patients, aged 22 years and above, are from eight barangays in the town, he added.
Vergara said the outbreak of the ailment was noted on Monday and it was mistakenly thought to be dengue fever.
"As it became alarming, Mayor Roy Macanlalay called for an executive meeting last Tuesday morning. Some personnel of the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) came over," he added.
A fumigation operation was conducted at the school compound in the afternoon.
The municipal administrator said the town officials recommended the closure of the high school but DOH regional officials rejected the proposal, as they believed the illness was still manageable.
Health officials instead ordered closed the stalls selling cooked food and drinks around the school compound.
De Vera said the move was prompted by observation that there was a common pattern in the spread of the disease and this involved contaminated food and water.
Municipal and health officials are still determining the origin of the typhoid fever. To eliminate water contamination as the cause, they gathered samples from sources inside and outside the school for testing, he added.
The water samples were taken to the Center for Health Development in San Fernando City, La Union for pathological examinations. The result has yet to be known.
While he pointed out the need for regular examination of the water and food being sold within the school premises, De Vera admitted the municipal health office does not have equipment to determine whether these are contaminated.
All they can do at the moment is conduct seminar-trainings on proper preparation, handling and serving of foods, since the disease can easily be transmitted if one does not practice personal hygiene, he added.
The municipal health officer said this was recommended during the executive meeting, which was attended by CCNHS principal Lourdes Servito.
Another suspected origin of the illness is the evacuation center at the school compound where some 100 students were seen loitering.
De Vera and Vergara said the evacuees brought their animals with them to the evacuation center, degrading the health and sanitation condition of the area.
They also noted that the school grounds were flooded during those times and that the comfort room could only accommodate so much.
Vergara further disclosed that the incident opened the eyes of the municipal officials to the need for a potable water system. The town has still been getting water from deep tube-wells.
He said the Municipal Council passed a resolution requesting the establishment of a potable water system in the town through bond flotation. Sun.Star Pangasinan
(August 8, 2003 issue)
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