Philippines death toll due to Typhoon Yolanda now at 5,796, health officials check Leyte’s water systems after outbreak of diarrhea
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Saturday morning the new “partial official death toll” numbers due to Super-Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
According to officials, the death toll has risen to 5,796, with the vast majority of these from the Eastern Visayas (5,454).
The Department of Health has deployed a team to Leyte to check the water systems in light of reports of nearly 100 typhoon survivors were stricken with acute diarrhea.
According to the Philippines News Agency, of the 45 water systems tested last week in Leyte, 22 were positive of coliform bacteria, including supply from pipes of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD).
“Supply from water systems was found positive of coliform or the water has presence of human feces. This is probably caused by leaks in pipes,” Sydiongco said.
Of the 98 admitted in hospitals, 51 were in Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc City, 47 in Kananga Community Hospital in Kananga, Leyte and 13 in Mother of Mercy Hospital in Tacloban City.
This has prompted health officials to advise displaced residents in Leyte and Eastern Samar to either boil or chlorinate drinking water.
Water should be heated to a rolling boil up to 1–2 minutes and then allowed to cool before putting them in clean containers. The DOH and other humanitarian missions have also begun distributing jerry cans that can hold 20 liters of water while also providing hyposol (chlorine solution) or Aquatabs water purification tablets that are used to treat drinking water. Bottled water when available need not be treated.
[…] Philippines death toll due to Typhoon Yolanda now at 5,796, health officials check Leyte’s water s… […]
[…] […]