Bacolod City’s alert threshold for cholera is up after one case was confirmed on Friday, September 16, Dr. Grace Tan, City Health Office (CHO) Environment Sanitation Division head, said.
This is because even just one case of cholera means there is a water source that is contaminated, she said.
Cholera spreads fast, Tan pointed out.
She said the patient who was hit with cholera was a 37-year-old female who was admitted at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod because of severe dehydration due to several episodes of watery stools and vomiting.
The patient was discharged after five days of hospital stay. Stool culture released September 16 yielded Vibrio cholerae, she said.
Tan reminded everyone of the importance of the use of safe, potable water for drinking and domestic use. Open defecation is strongly discouraged.
She also reiterated the need to wash hands with soap and water and to know food sources.*