Cases of food and waterborne diseases in Baguio City increase nearly fivefold from 2005 to 2010
Based on statistics from the City Health Office, reported cases of Food and Waterborne Diseases (FWBDs) in Baguio City increased by nearly a factor of five or from 410 cases in 2005 to 1,938 cases in 2010. FWBDs being monitored by health workers include amebiasis, cholera, gastroenteritis, hepatitis A, leptospirosis, and typhoid fever. The number of total cases was highest in 2009 with 2,082 cases reported, an increase by 60.7 percent over the 2008 level.
FWBDs are among the most common causes of diarrhea, resulting from the ingestion of contaminated food or water.1/ The top three FWBDs in Baguio during the period were gastroenteritis, typhoid fever and amebiasis.
Gastroenteritis is the leading food and waterborne disease affecting the residents of Baguio City with an annual average growth rate of 47.8 percent from 2005-2010. The highest number of reported gastroenteritis cases was recorded in 2009 with 1,733 cases. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, involving the stomach, intestines, or both; usually resulting in diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and possibly vomiting. 2/
Typhoid fever is the second most common FWBD in Baguio with an annual average growth of 23.2 percent during the period. The highest number of typhoid cases was in 2010 with 437 incidents recorded. Typhoid fever is an acute illness characterized by fever that is often caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. 3/
Amebiasis in the city has declined from 47 cases in 2005 to 29 cases in 2010. It is an infection of the intestines with amebae, associated with frequent, loose stools with blood and mucus. 4/
Leptospirosis remains low with only five (5) reported cases in 2010. It is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called a spirochete and is transmitted though contact with infected water or soil contaminated with the waste products of an infected animal (e.g. rats). 5/ Leptospirosis occurs in flood-prone areas in urban areas. Only two (2) cases of hepatitis A were documented while no incident of cholera was reported in 2010. The City Health Office compiled the above data from the 7 hospitals and 16 health centers in Baguio City.
1/ www.doh.gov.ph
2/ http://www.medicinenet.com/gastroenteritis/article.htm
3/ http://www.medicinenet.com/typhoid_fever/article.htm
4/ http://www.medicinenet.com/amebiasis/article.htm
5/ http://www.medicinenet.com/leptospirosis/article.htm
Page uploaded: June 14, 2011