Suspected typhoid outbreak in northern Cebu
The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 is monitoring suspected typhoid fever cases in Danao City in northern Cebu, according to a Philippines News Agency report today.
Salmonella image/CDC
Health officials in the region note that 21 suspected cases have been reported in the mountain barangay of Oguis, Danao City. Of that, seven seven were admitted at the Danao Provincial Hospital but were already discharged after being treated.
Three patients admitted to the hospital tested positive for a rapid screening typhoid test. No confirmatory testing has been performed.
Typhoid fever is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. Salmonella typhi lives only in humans. Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract. In addition, a small number of persons, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed S.typhi in their feces.
The symptoms for typhoid fever include a high fever, headaches, diarrhea or constipation, stomach pains, weakness, and loss of appetite. In some cases a flat, rose-coloured rash may appear on the torso.
You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding S. typhi or if sewage contaminated with S. typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be contaminated with sewage.
Learn more about typhoid fever in this educational video
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[…] Suspected typhoid outbreak in northern Cebu The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH) 7 is monitoring suspected typhoid fever cases in Danao City in northern Cebu, according to a Philippines News Agency report today. Salmonella image/CDC. Full News here – Read more on The Global Dispatch […]