Dr. Ashley Lopez, head of the Davao City Health Office. (PNA file photo)
DAVAO CITY – Three persons have so far died from the diarrhea outbreak in Toril district here, the City Health Office (CHO) said Friday.
In a radio interview, CHO head, Dr. Ashley Lopez, said a 32-year-old male teacher and a 67-year-old woman succumbed to the disease after a 10-year-old boy died on July 19.
The teacher, a resident of Lingig, Surigao del Sur, died on Thursday due to severe dehydration.
Lopez said the victim rented a space in Barangay Lubogan, Toril, where he also taught.
He noted that the total number of cases of diarrhea climbed to 233 since July 15, with 21 barangays already infected – 18 in Toril district and three outside the area.
Lopez said a parallel investigation by their office and the Department of Health 11 (Davao region) is ongoing but there is no official result yet on the water and food sampling, as well as the rectal swab of the diarrhea victims.
“We cannot yet determine what exactly caused the outbreak,” he said.
Pending the result of laboratory tests, the city government has suspended the operations of food stalls in Toril until further notice. (PNA)
