Typhoid fever cases in Negros Occidental have increased to 387 with three deaths from January to March, the Provincial Health Office reported on Friday, April 4.
It is 86.06 percent or 179 cases more than the 208 cases in the same period last year, the PHO said.
Kabankalan City has the highest number of typhoid cases at 96, followed by Hinoba-an at 43 cases, San Carlos City – 33, Sipalay City -27 and Isabela – 24.
There are 30 of 31 LGUs in Negros Occdental that have typhoid cases.
The age group with the most number of typhoid cases is 11 to 20 years old.
In Bacolod City there were 27 typhoid cases and no deaths from January 1 to March 22.
That is a 145.5 percent increase in cases compared to 11 in the same period last year, the City Health Office reported.
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening bacterial infection, commonly spread through contaminated food or water, or through person-to-person contact, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
This disease is most common in areas with poor sanitation, or where food and water may be dirty, it said.
Typhoid fever is caused by a bacteria called Salmonella typhi, which only lives in humans, the DOH said.
Some of the symptoms of typhoid fever are headaches, chills, loss of appetite, stomach pain, rashes, cough, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.*