DOH notes typhoid downtrend in Iloilo
A downtrend of typhoid cases has been noted in the city based on the number of patients admitted in the city's different hospitals as reported by the Department of Health Center for Health Development. The health department has been monitoring the typhoid cases in Iloilo after an outbreak at the waterfront barangays in City Proper.
Based on the report, the number of cases decreased by as much as 50 percent during the 11th morbidity week covering the period March 9-15, 2008. A copy of the report on typhoid cases was furnished to Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, the OIC mayor of Iloilo City.
Typhoid fever cases peaked on the 10th morbidity week covering March 2-8, 2008 with 103 cases, the number of admissions dropped to 59 cases during the 11th morbidity week. The health department has placed the city as a sentinel surveillance site due to the upsurge of typhoid fever cases in the city proper from January 1 to March 8 which has a total of 217 cases.
However, the health department noted an increase of typhoid cases in Iloilo City from January to March 15 of this year compared to last year of the same period. There were only 38 typhoid cases last year or an increase of 374 cases.
There were also four reported deaths in the first three months of 2008. The fatalities include a 68-year old female repacker in Brgy. Zamora, a 36-year old male vendor of Veterans Village, a 38-year old male beautician of Zamora, and a 43 year-old porter of Veterans Village.
The health department identified the typhoid critical areas as barangays Veterans Village, Monica, Sto. Rosario, Zamora, Concepcion, Gen. Hughes and Ortiz, all in the city proper.
In order to contain the typhoid cases, the city government has set up an outbreak response center at the City Health Office and intensified an advocacy campaign with IEC materials on food and water borne diseases such as typhoid fever mainly caused by Salmonella typhi. The CHO also conducted water analysis sampling and intensify environmental sanitation activities in the barangays.