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MANILA — More than 1,400 people have displayed typhoid symptoms in less than a month in a city near the Philippine capital, prompting authorities to declare a state of calamity, health officials said Wednesday.
Extra medical teams have been sent to assist doctors and conduct disease surveillance in Calamba, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.
Of 1,477 people with typhoid symptoms, 436 have been treated in the city's six hospitals and the rest in local community health centers since Feb. 16, said Dr. Dennis Labro, spokesman for the city's health office.
Only 37 of those cases have been confirmed with blood tests because the typhoid test is expensive, Labro said. No deaths have been reported.
The outbreak was concentrated in five adjacent villages in Calamba, about 34 miles from Manila, and the salmonella bacteria that caused the illness may have been spread via the water system, he said.
But Labro was hopeful that the outbreak was under control.
"There are still cases coming in, but these are fewer in number compared to the past few days," he said.
Occasional outbreaks of typhoid occur in the Philippines, particularly in areas where there is contaminated food or water and poor hygiene.
Typically, typhoid symptoms include high-grade fever, stomach cramps, diarrhea or constipation and general malaise. In extreme cases, the small intestine could be perforated, leading to death if left unattended or not treated properly.
Labro said the city's 50-bed government-run hospital was so swamped when the outbreak peaked Feb. 25-27 that corridors were used to accommodate patients.
The city declared a state of calamity Monday, allowing it to immediately withdraw emergency funds for antibiotics and intravenous drips, he said. The Red Cross and the health department also sent medicine and doctors.
