Philippines’ cholera cases 282% higher this year at 3,729, says DOH

A total of 3,729 cholera cases have been recorded in the country since January 2022, which is 282% higher compared to the data during the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

At a press conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that in 2022, there were only 976 cholera cases.

Cumulatively, most of the cholera cases were reported from Eastern Visayas, Davao Region, and Caraga.

From August 28 to September 4 alone, 258 cases were recorded, most of which from Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.

Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, meanwhile, have surpassed the epidemic threshold levels for cholera based on the same period.

Thirty-three people have also died since January this year due to cholera—three of which were logged in July, nine in August, and two in September.

Vergeire said that the most common age group affected with cholera are children aged 5 to 9, primarily due to unsafe drinking water.

“We know that tag-ulan ngayon, maraming pagbaha, maraming napupunta rin sa evacuation centers natin and because of this kind of calamities, ‘yung water systems natin are mostly affected lagi kapagka ganyan, especially in this kind of areas,” she said.

(We know that it is the rainy season now, there is a lot of flooding, a lot of people also go to evacuation centers. Because of calamities, our water systems are always affected, especially in these areas.)

“May mga namamatay dahil kasi ang cholera, kapag hindi natin naagapan, nagkakaron ng severe dehydration ang mga pasyente, lalong-lalo na kung ang pasyente na may cholera ay immunocompromised o ‘di kaya vulnerable sila,” she added.

(There are people who die because of cholera. If it is not cured, patients will suffer from severe dehydration, especially if they are immunocompromised or are vulnerable.)

Despite this, she pointed out that no local government units have declared an outbreak yet as cases remain “manageable.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated. — RSJ, GMA News