BAGUIO CITY – Acute bloody diarrhea cases in the region dropped by nine precent for the first six months of this year compared to the cases reported during the same period last year following the recording of some eight hundred eighty eight cases this year compared to the nine hundred seventy five cases registered for the same period last year.
Geeny Anne Austria, Nurse V of the Cordillera office of the Department of Health (DOH-CAR) regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said that there were no acute bloody diarrhea-related deaths this year and the same period last year.
Based on the data obtained from the DOH-CAR RESU, the acute bloody diarrhea cases came from Benguet with 319 cases or 35.9 percent of the total number of the recorded cases, Mountain Province with 209 cases or 23.4 percent, Ifugao – 187 cases or 21.1 percent, Baguio City – 113 cases or 12.7 percent, Apayao – 15 cases or 1.7 percent, Abra – 11 cases or 1.2 percent, Kalinga – 6 or 0.7 percent and non-CAR provinces – 29 or 3.3 percent.
Of the total number of recorded acute bloody diarrhea cases, there were some 480 males that were afflicted that represent 54.1 percent and that the age range of the affected individuals were from 3 months old to 99 years old with a median of 13 years old.
Austria reported that most of the cases with tests conducted were e.histolytica and that clustering of acute bloody diarrhea cases were noted in Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province.
Health authorities explained that acute bloody diarrhea is potentially a sign of invasive enteric infection that carries a substantial risk of serious morbidity and death, especially in children in developing countries and that it can be due to campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, e.colai, e.hystolytica and other organisms.
Among the suggested preventive measures include boiling of drinking water, properly wash fruits and vegetables, practice proper hand hygiene and environmental sanitation.
Heath officials appealed to individuals noticing blood on their stolls to immediately seek the advise of medical experts in the nearest medical facility so that they will be provided with the appropriate medical attention to prevent their situation from worsening considering that acute bloody diarrhea could result to the untimely death of an individual once the illness will not be attended properly.
For those in the rural areas of the region, individuals were advised to make sure that their drinking water are not actually contaminated but what is important is for them to still boil their drinking water before taking in the same to prevent them from contracting illnesses that will compromise their lives, especially if such illness will not be given the appropriate medical attention the soonest.
Further, individuals were also advised to observe the highest degree of cleanliness not only in their homes but also in their bodies to prevent them from contracting dreaded illnesses.
By Dexter A. See