CARIGARA, Leyte, Philippines — The Department of Health (DoH) in Region 8 is urging the public to keep their surroundings clean after noting the rise in cases of typhoid fever, especially in Leyte province’s four towns.

DoH 8 Nurse Boyd Cerro said the cases of typhoid fever in the towns of Carigara, Capoocan, Tunga, and Barugo have become alarming, with Carigara registering 102 affected residents.

The health department has also noted the rising number of patients with typhoid fever confined in a hospital in Tacloban City aside from district hospitals in said four towns. The DoH, however, has not received reports of deaths due to typhoid fever.

Based on the initial investigation launched by the DoH, it was found out that the water sources of said towns are contaminated with bacteria causing typhoid fever. Cerro said residents should boil their water before drinking to prevent getting the disease.

Typhoid fever is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica.

In Cebu City, meanwhile, the DoH is also warning the public against water-borne diseases due to the heavy downpours over Metro Cebu in recent days.

The DoH advised people to boil water for drinking as the water might be contaminated by the floods and may contain bacteria causing such diseases as gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, cholera, and hepatitis A.

To safeguard against theses diseases, the DoH advisory said water should be left to boil over two minutes.

The DoH also advised the public to avoid wading in floodwaters since the water may be contaminated with the urine of infected animals like rats, causing leptospirosis.