DOH still probing mysterious disease in SK upland town
HEALTH • 21:34 PM Mon Oct 20, 2014
1,374
By:
Roel Osano, DXOM-FM Koronadal
Dr. Teogenes Baluma, DOH-12 regional director
KORONADAL
CITY- The Department of Health is still investigating deeper the cause of acute
encephalitis syndrome that killed 10 people in Sultan Kudarat province.
Earlier this
year more than 100 residents of the remote village of Tinalon in the municipality
of Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat was rushed to various hospitals after they
experienced stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
Early findings
of health professionals revealed that the incident was due to the tainted horse
meat the residents feasted on.
But Dr.
Teogenes Baluma, DOH-12 regional director, stressed that the health department
is still investigating the real cause of the disease.
It has been
contained, but we are still investigating,”
Acute
encephalitis syndrome is a bio-safety level 4 disease with a mortality rate
higher than Ebola virus.
These are two
different diseases, but it has a high mortality rate compared to Ebola Virus,
out of thirteen people afflicted with acute encephalitis syndrome 10 of them
died,” Baluma told DXOM FM Monday.
He said the
regional epidemiology department is still trying to determine whether the tainted
meat the residents ate were afflicted by virus carried by bats.
There are
reports that the virus came from bats but it is yet to be confirmed by
laboratory tests,” he added.