Two Siquijor residents hit with glanders disease have died, Dr. Nikka Hao, regional director of the Department of Health-Negros Island Region, confirmed Wednesday, May 28.
She said the two males who died were among the six patients from Siquijor with confirmed glanders disease who were brought to a hospital in Dumaguete City.
The two male fatalities had comorbidities, which were combination of hypertension and diabetes, she said.
“What is important for glanders is early detection and treatment. Now that people are more aware of it treatment can be started faster,” she said.
Hao said they are conducting contact tracing for others who may have been hit by glanders disease in Siquijor.
They only have six laboratory confirmed glanders cases from Siquijor, but contract tracing has been conducted and there are other people being assessed after having exposure to sick animals, she said.
Samples were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for validation, Hao said.
Siquijor Gov. Jake Vincent Villa earlier said despite six confirmed cases of Glanders disease, his province remains safe for residents and tourists.
Villa, in a Facebook post, said the provincial government of Siquijor, in cooperation with the Negros Island Region One Health Task Force, and the Department of Health, continues “to monitor, and maintain the health of the community”.
Glanders is a zoonotic disease that affects horses, donkeys, carabaos or animals with hoofs, and can be transmitted to humans.
Glanders disease can be fatal only if it is not treated early, Hao said.
Such zoonoses can be transmitted either directly from animals to humans, or indirectly via food or the environment.*