(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)
MANILA – Cholera cases in the past four months in Central Luzon, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas have reached the epidemic threshold, a health official said Friday.
In an online forum, Department of Health - Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea de Guzman said the cases in Central Luzon reached 150; Central Visayas, three; and Eastern Visayas, 2,622 from January 1 to October 1.
“Subalit, wala tayong specific na province, highly urbanized city, or independent component city na nag-breach ng epidemic threshold (However, we don’t have a specific province, highly urbanized city, or independent component city that breached the epidemic threshold),” she said.
The areas that had a growth rate of cases in the past four weeks include Olongapo City, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Ormoc City, she added.
Nationally, the cholera cases increased by 286 percent this year with 3,890 cases compared to 2,881 in the same period last year.
About 52 percent or 2,031 of the total cases are women, while 18 percent or 692 are children aged five years to nine years. (PNA)
