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| Situation Update No. 2 Ref.no.: EH-20100228-25149-PHL
Situation Update No. 2
On 2010-03-03 at 03:57:44 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: Philippines Province of Cagayan San Pedro
Number of Deads: 2 person(s)
Number of Infected: 400 person(s)
Situation: One person died and at least 400 more were infected with anthrax after eating double-dead carabao meat in Cagayan province last week, a provincial health officer said Tuesday. Dr. Danilo Alonzo, Cagayan provincial health chief, said the fatality was the first case of anthrax they recorded in Lasam town. He said the man died of a heart attack, which they suspect was aggravated by the effects of the anthrax disease. "The first case was recorded in a hospital in Lasam. He died [of a heart disease], but the doctor saw blisters and the man had skin infections," Alonzo said, adding that these are signs of an anthrax infection. Earlier reports said more than 50 people were infected by the bacteria, but Alonzo said there were actually 400 cases. He said the 50 patients were the ones who were able to seek medical help at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center. He said majority of the cases were treated in Lasam town, through the help of the provincial government. Alonzo said majority of the 400 patients have already recovered, and only 13 remain under observation at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center. The provincial health officer said the provincial government is now looking into the possible liability of the provincial office of the Department of Agriculture (DA). He said that the man who sold the double-dead carabao meat to the victims, is claiming that the local DA in Lasam town gave him an approval to sell the infected meat. Alonzo said that according to the man, he brought a sample of the carabao meat to the local DA and was told that it was safe for human consumption as long as it had been drained of blood. "This is what we are confirming, the possible liability of the people from the Department of Agriculture in Lasam. The man said he was given a go signal that the meat can be eaten," the doctor said. He said the carabao meat was sold to the victims on February 19. He added that it took a week before the victims started feeling the symptoms of the disease. |  | | | |
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