TAYTAY, Rizal – Almost 300 cases of gastroenteritis have been reported here, mostly among flood victims at evacuation centers, since many areas in Rizal province were flooded in the wake of tropical storm “Ondoy” near the end of September.

According to Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares III, the number of gastroenteritis cases included those reported from various evacuation centers and some hospitals in Taytay although he clarified that he still has to get an official report from the town’s mayor.

Ynares said the victims apparently got the disease from dirty water and problems with sanitation and hygiene at evacuation centers.

For his part, Taytay Mayor Joric Gacula said the number of victims “recorded from September 26 to date is 286.” The mayor attributed the outbreak of gastroenteritis to the stagnant flood waters in Taytay and nearby areas.

Gacula said the “number of people walking in for assistance and complaining of gastroenteritis has lowered to 30.”

“We have been providing medical missions and giving instructional hygiene to these people but some of them have a problem in implementing it. That is the main problem now,” he said. Mayor Gacula added that the municipal government, along with its municipal health personnel, are doing their best in containing the gastroenteritis.

Gastroenteritis is a viral infection caused by bacteria, parasites, and food-borne illness. The disease is often manifested through diarrhea, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting and results in irritation and inflammation of the stomach and the intestines.

Medical experts recommend hydration as the first mode of treatment.

For children, this includes oral rehydration through solutions like Pedialyte, Rehydration Salts, Resol and Rice-Lyte.

In order to prevent the spread of the bacteria, the Department of Health (DoH) has issued advisories that call for the regular washing of hands, the consumption of only properly stored and prepared food, and bleaching of soiled laundry.

As of October 25, the Department of Health (DoH) has included gastroenteritis in the top five morbidities in evacuation centers along with acute respiratory illnesses, skin infections or wounds, influenza-like illness, and pneumonia.