DoH declares cholera outbreak in Palawan town

Health officials have declared a cholera outbreak in Bataraza town in Palawan following the death of nearly 20 people, mostly children belonging to a tribe, due to diarrhea and vomiting. The outbreak actually began weeks ago but was officially declared late Tuesday after the Department of Health recorded an “unusually high” number of diarrhea cases in 17 out of the 22 barangays (villages) of Bataraza that was traced to contaminated water, said Dr. Manuel Mapue of the DoH National Epidemiology Center-Applied Public Health Division. “We declared a cholera outbreak in the entire town since only five of the 22 barangays do not have cases of diarrhea,” said Mapue, who was sent to Palawan to assess the situation in the area. The health agency has already monitored at least 430 diarrhea cases in the town, killing at least 19 people from March 1 to April...