PALO, Leyte — The Department of Health in Eastern Visayas confirmed cases of cholera in Tacloban City as deaths due to severe dehydration caused by the bacterial infection rose to four.

DoH assistant regional director Dr. Rodolfo Albornoz disclosed that as of 26 October, a total of 192 patients have already been admitted to the different hospitals due to "acute watery diarrhea."

He added that of the 192 hospitalized patients, 80 of them are suspected cholera cases where the patients show symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, seven were found positive during rapid diagnostic test and 10 are confirmed cholera based on the cholera culture test conducted at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center.

The latest fatalities were a 12-year old boy and a 64-year old woman.

Albornoz said that due to the surge in the number of acute watery diarrhea where patients are experiencing loose bowel movement, coupled with vomiting and fever, the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of DoH regional office conducted an initial RDT to admitted patients at EVMC and to the residents of Barangay 106, a village north of the city where most of the cases were reported.

The DoH-8 official added that the agency assisted the staff of GMA District Health Center in the conduct of house-to-house monitoring and information campaigns to guide the residents on how they can avoid the infection.

He stressed that the Health department — through its DoH Food and Waterborne Program — also trained the staff of Tacloban City Health Office on the administration of One Step Rapid Dipstick Test, which tests the presence of cholera in rectal swabs.

The DoH-8 and the Tacloban City Health Office have also conducted water quality monitoring assessments in areas where there were high cases of suspected cholera.