malaysiangCOTABATO CITY: The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) on Friday urged residents in flooded areas to boil drinking and cooking water after samples tested positive for E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria.
Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., minister of the MOH-BARMM, said the bacteria were found in laboratory tests of water samples taken from a previously flooded area in BARMM.
‘We noted rising cases of stomach disorders among flood-affected residents in the region and our health,’ he said in a radio interview, adding that the reports prompted them to conduct the water tests.
He said the exact number of residents suffering from E. coli is yet to be determined.
‘We have distributed over 5,000 aqua tabs to serve as sterilizing tablets so that our evacuees and flood victims are safe in drinking water,’ Sinolinding said.
He said the best prevention of bacterial infection is boiling all drinking and cooking water.
E. coli is commonly found in rivers, streams, lakes, an
d canals. During floods, the waters contain fecal materials from overflowing sewage and agricultural or industrial wastes.
Sinolinding said consumption of E. coli-contaminated water sources can be fatal due to severe dehydration from diarrhea.
He urged the public in inundated areas to help prevent the escalation of human discharges because it can cause bacterial infestation and outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Source: Philippines News Agency
