LOCAL officials in Medina, Misamis Oriental, started looking into the town’s water systems after the laboratory tests done on a water sample from the affected villages tested positive for cholera bacteria.
After the Department of Health-Northern Mindanao released the results on Monday, July 10, Medina Municipal Information Officer Freitchie Virtudazo said town officials have begun tracing how the bacteria, which may have caused the diarrhea that downed 400 residents last week, contaminated the water source.
"So mao nang kamulo pa jud meng investigate together with the private institutions pud dinhi para ma pinpoint jud namo ug ma eliminate ang kani nga bacteria. (We have just started investigating together with the private institutions so that we can pinpoint and eliminate this bacteria)," Virtudazo said.
Vistudazo added that they are not only focusing the investigation on the private water source, which is the Medina Rural Water Works Sanitation Cooperative (Merwasco).
There are many possible reasons, she said, as to how the contaminated water infected a large number of their citizens.
"There are barangays nga naay mga patients pud nga may same cases, diarrhea, but their water system is not coming from Merwasco. Gikan sa ilahang deep well ana. (There are barangays which have patients who have the same cases, diarrhea, but their water system is not Merwasco. It is from their deep well.)," Virtudazo said.
One of the causes that they are looking at is the frequent rains in the past few weeks in Medina town.
"Kay diri jud everyday halos ga ulan so mao na siguro na gikan tag-init kaayo ug nag ulan so wala tingali jud preventions kaayo na makafilter. (Because it has been raining almost every day after the hot days so maybe there has not been any means for prevention)," Virtudazo said.
Virtudazo said that this may be the cause as to why the affected populace did not only come from the places where Merwasco serves water.
rHealth authorities will conduct a mass treatment to all affected areas if more than ten patients will be admitted to the monitoring hospitals in the areas.
Virtudazo, however, said that since Sunday, July 9, the diarrhea patients in their area have been discharged from the hospital after being treated and no patients have so far been admitted on Monday.
"Ang nabilin na lang sa RHU (Rural Health Unit) naay mga tulo ug ang sa Medina Hospital naay mga duha or isa na nabilin na lang as of today (July 10). (There are only three in the Rural Health Unit (RHU) and two or one in the Medina Hospital as of today July 10)," said Virtudazo.