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8 feared dead in new diarrhea outbreak in Palawan


At least eight people were feared dead in a new diarrhea outbreak in an area in Palawan province, barely a month after the same epidemic in a neighboring town was believed contained. The Palawan Provincial Health Office has sent a team to Latud village in Rizal town to verify the reported deaths, radio dzBB's Palawan affiliate reported Tuesday. Local police and military authorities were on standby to provide assistance if needed, the report said. Only last Monday, health authorities said they are coordinating with the Local Water Utilities Administration to prevent the spread of the disease following the deaths of at least 20 members of an indigenous tribe in Bataraza town. National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag said Monday that while the situation in Bataraza town has “stabilized" for the moment, they want to make sure the diarrhea outbreak does not spread to other towns. Tayag said they are keeping watch over Rizal town in Palawan, a neighboring town of Bataraza where the deaths occurred. “May tinitingnan ngayon ang team natin... itong katabi na Rizal town. Ang mga katutubo dito pumupunta at maaring naikalat ang diarrhea sa ibang lugar (Our health teams are keeping an eye on neighboring Rizal town because there is a possibility some residents of Bataraza may have spread diarrhea there)," he had said in an interview on dwIZ radio. He said their investigation showed the outbreak in Bataraza stemmed from cholera as local residents drank polluted water. — LBG, GMA News

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