A Philippine News Agency report last week stated 169 people were sickened with diarrhea and vomiting symptoms recently in Sibulan, Negros Oriental due to what is believed to have been fecal contamination of water sources.
Majority of the cases are from Barangay Looc, Sibulan, near a quarry site. Water samples were found to have fecal contamination and were positive of the E. coli bacteria, according to Iris Indira S. Requiron-Puspus, senior administrative assistant of the Office of the Mayor of Sibulan.
Some of the diarrhea patients were admitted to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City, with a number having been discharged already, while others came down with only mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization, she added.
Pending further investigation on the upsurge of diarrhea cases, Puspus said they have distributed jerrycans, “hyposol” water disinfectant and hydrating solutions to residents.
Also, the public is enjoined to boil their water sourced from potentially contaminated sources prior to consumption.
