RIVERS in Mandaue City have tested positive for polio, but the virus is no longer contagious, an official said Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Councilor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, chairwoman of the Committee on Health, told reporters Tuesday that the test was conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Central Visayas for its environmental surveillance in January within the three-meter easement of Mandaue's major rivers.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads through from person to person and through contaminated food and water.
But Soon-Ruiz reiterated that the polio strain detected was sabin-like virus type, or those residuals that are no longer contagious.
She said the virus could have come from infants who were vaccinated with anti-polio and measles vaccines.
"The residual virus will come out of the poop as long as the vaccination is fresh but it can't really infect polio. It is already dead," said Ruiz.
She reminded parents to have the children drink clean water and ensure that stream water is boiled to kill the bacteria.
Chikiting Ligtas
To strengthen its defense against the disease, the City Government through the Mandaue City Health Office joined the simultaneous launching of free immunization against polio, measles, and rubella.
The immunization program, launched on May 2, 2023 together with the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH 7), was dubbed as "Chikiting Ligtas Program." The launching Tuesday was held at the Mandaue City Hall Grounds.
The activity focused on having free vaccination of children ages 0-59 months and 9-59 months, who were the most susceptible to the disease.
Rubella and measles share common symptoms, such as the red rash, but measles were more infectious and severe.
Soon-Ruiz cited the event's importance, stressing that prevention against the disease were somewhat neglected during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
"Secondly, the parents were afraid of the vaccination because of the side effects. We highly encourage the mothers to go and bring their children," said Soon-Ruiz.
The Chikiting Ligtas program is a nationwide immunization that focuses on newborn babies and five years old. The immunization will be conducted in each barangay health centers.
Soon-Ruiz said the Barangay Health Workers (BHW) will also do house-to house vaccination.
Percy Mendoza-Pongasi, Mandaue City Health officer, said the Chikiting program aims to prevent the occurrence of diseases by vaccinating the susceptible population, thereby protecting the family and community from financial burdens associated with sickness.
"Kung healthy ang family and community, mas productive economically kay dili na mo absent sa work ang parents," Pongasi said.
(If the family and community are healthy, it will be more productive economically because the parents will no longer be absent from work.)
In 2022, Mandaue City logged three suspected polio cases and five suspected measles cases, including one confirmed. No Rubella case was reported.
This year for the first quarter, the city has not recorded any polio, measles, and rubella cases. (HIC)