Calinog mulls state of emergency due to ‘hepa’

ILOILO City – Due to rising cases of hepatitis A infection, the local government of Calinog, Iloilo should declare a state of emergency, according to Municipal Health Officer Dr. Cesarey Mestidio.

The declaration would allow the local government to give emergency assistance to those with the illness and take steps to curb the spread of the viral liver disease, Mestio said.

As of yesterday, there were 75 confirmed hepatitis A cases in Calinog – all students of Don Esteban Javellana Memorial National High School in Barangay Guiso.

The hepatitis A virus is primarily spread when an uninfected (and unvaccinated) person ingests food or water that is contaminated with the feces of an infected person, said Mestidio.

Any person positive for the hepatitis A virus may serve as a “carrier” that could infect other people.

Eighty of the 101 Grade 7 to Grade 12 students with suspected hepatitis A infection were taken blood samples for laboratory analysis and only five were negative of the virus, according to Mestidio.

The samples were taken by a team from the Department of Health Region 6 on Aug. 13.

Mestidio said a state of emergency declaration would also give the Municipal Health Office enough leeway to hold activities aimed at curtailing the spread of hepatitis A such information dissemination in more public schools and barangays.

On Aug. 27, the Sangguniang Bayan of Calinog may declare a state of emergency, said Mestidio, citing his meeting with Mayor Alex Centena early this week.

The municipal health officer also said the 75 students positive for the hepatitis A virus and the other suspected cases were advised not to report to school for now.

The school agreed to just give study modules to these students so they won’t fall behind other classmates in their lessons, said Mestidio.

The first cases were detected in July 25. The number grew as more students exhibited hepatitis A symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and jaundice.

Don Esteban Javellana Memorial National High School decided to temporarily close its canteen as a precautionary measure. A food handler at the school canteen was found to be positive of hepatitis A, revealed Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado.

Mestidio also said the local government of Calinog would be more stringent on applications for sanitary permit and health cards of persons wanting to operate or work in canteens and other food-related businesses in the municipality.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis A is closely associated with unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene.

Therefore, it said, safe water supply, food safety, improved sanitation, hand washing and the hepatitis A vaccine are the most effective ways to combat the disease.

The disease can lead to significant economic and social consequences in communities, said WHO, because it can take weeks or months for people recovering from the illness to return to work, school, or daily life.

The impact on food establishments identified with the virus, and local productivity in general, can be substantial, it added./PN

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