"We continuously advise the public to boil drinking water prior to consumption,"
Agbulos said. "We also urge them to practice proper waste disposal and environmental sanitation in additional to practicing water purification".

Based on records, typhoid fever cases have rose to 76 cases with 1 fatality registered during the first quarter of the year. Barangays with highest typhoid fever cases are Sta. Catalina, Boalan, Campo Islam, Calarian and Tetuan.

Agbulos said the City's Epi­demiological and Surveillance Unit (CESU) is regularly moni­toring the possible outbreak of disease due to lack of water sup­ply and the rationing scheme in the city.

Campo Islam was the first area to have been hit by typhoid fever last March 9 when over 35 patients with chronic fever were reported in a household cluster near the Philippine Tuna Factory in the area. The victims were mostly children and young adults who manifested fever for over two weeks coupled with headache and abdominal pain.

Six of the 35 patients were admitted in different hospitals and were diagnosed to be cases of typhoid fever.

The incident, Agbulos said, has prompted the CHO in coor­dination with the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct inten­sified case detection through blood and stool culture examination in the affected area. At present, the patients manifesting chronic fever are considered as typhoid suspects until the re­sults of the confirmatory tests are released.

Water samples were taken for examination to determine the possible source of the outbreak. Lectures on proper water sanita­tion and prevention of water and food borne diseases were also given to the residents and free medications were provided to treat the symptomatic patients.

Last March 13, a clustering of over 10 cases of typhoid fe­ver was also reported in a com­pound in Buenagatas in Boalan Of the total number, 6 were ad­mitted in the hospital and one succumbed due to complica­tions of intestinal perforation and bleeding, according to Agbulos.

Typhoid fever is caused by ingestion of food and water con­taminated with the bacteria "sal­monella typhi". Children and per­sons over 60 usually have the severest cases. Symptoms of the disease include fever more than 2 weeks, headache, abdominal pain, pallor. delirium and even coma may develop. Possible complications are dehydration, perforation of the intestines, hepatitis, pneumonia and con­gestive heart failure.

Typhoid fever is curable in 2-3 weeks with treatment, other­wise it is fatal. Transmission is via ingestion of food or water contaminated by stools (fecal materials) or patients with ty­phoid fever or carriers of the dis­ease.

Other water borne diseases are diarrheal diseases. amoebia­sis and parathyphoid fever.

The CHO has issued public alarm concerning the possible outbreak of water home diseases since last month.