by Lucas Jalong Bato. Posted on March 15, 2011, Tuesday

LIMBANG: a wedding feast could be the source of a bout of food poisoning which broke out among its guests in the district.

The wedding took place on March 6.

The Indoor Stadium was turned into a quarantine zone for 43 persons showing symptoms of cholera. They were mostly guests at the wedding.

Out of that, 20 admitted to the district hospital comprised 13 men and seven women.

Meanwhile, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah advised the people not to panic as the outbreak was under control.

He said the Medical Department had sent teams to the ground to make sure the disease would not spread.

He said rural areas given focus were Kampung Buang Api, Kampung Pandam, Mengatai, Gadong and Lubuk Piasau.

“We hope the people do not panic as the Medical Department is investigating the cause of the outbreak and conducting an awareness programme,” said Hasbi.

He said though the case seem isolated, the people in the affected area need immediate medical attention. And they might need to be quarantined to stop the disease from spreading.

GENEVA — Haiti’s cholera outbreak appears to be diminishing nationwide but the death rate in rural areas remains alarmingly high, the United Nations said Friday.the mixed picture comes from Haitian government figures citing 231,070 reported cases and 4,549 deaths since the epidemic began in October.

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National mortality rates from cholera are down to 2 percent, from as high as 9 percent earlier, but in some rural areas, more than one-in-ten people who contract the disease die.

In Haiti’s Sud Est region, the mortality rate hit 10.7 percent as of Feb. 9, while in Nippes it was 6.7 percent and in the Grande Anse region, 5.9 percent. the rate should be under 1 percent, according to the World Health Organization.

“It’s there (in rural areas) that we absolutely have to strengthen our efforts,” said Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the U.N. humanitarian coordination office. “for that we need money.”

The U.N. also is concerned about the possible spread of the disease during Haiti’s upcoming Carnival season.

The U.N. has asked for $175 million to deal with Haiti’s cholera outbreak, much of which is distributed to local partners and non-governmental organizations to carry out aid work. So far, however, donors have provided only $80 million.

The U.N. itself has been accused of inadvertedly starting the cholera epidemic in Haiti through bad sanitation, a claim the global body has sent experts to Haiti to investigate.

The World Health Organization said Friday it was trying to keep the anti-cholera efforts in Haiti from collapsing.

“Even if many NGO’s are leaving for different reasons, there is an exit strategy,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said. “WHO is working with the Ministry of Health to replace the NGOs that were running these cholera centers.”

The U.N. health agency won’t rest until Haiti’s mortality rate for cholera has been further reduced, she said. “We are not giving up on getting it under 1 percent.”

But as things stand now, cholera “will be a disease for the months and years to come in Haiti” despite it being previously unknown to generations of Haitians, she said.

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The death of an 18- year-old male from Maasin, Iloilo blamed on the rabies virus has renewed calls for a massive educational program, particularly in the rural areas to eradicate misplaced beliefs on the treatment of rabies.

Ilonggo physician Dr. Elvin Tiangha gave valuable pointers on how to effectively prevent unnecessary loss of life of a family member who has been exposed to a rabies attack.

Tiangha recounted a practical medical synopsis whose chief objective is to stop rabies-related deaths.

First and foremost, Tiangha strongly advised against killing a dog after it has bitten someone as it could be a rabies virus carrier.

Instead, the dog should be hedged in, or confined strictly for a period of 10-14 days for monitoring purposes.

Tiangha said owners should observe critically any changes in the dog’s behavior. if it begins to exhibit abnormal, erratic behavior, then it could be surmised that the dog is harboring the dreaded virus.

If the bite happens to be too close to the brain, the victim should lose no time in seeking medical help, he said.

Tiangha also gave a stern warning: Do not eat the meat of a dog suspected to be a rabies carrier.

Symptoms of rabies infection are fever, headache, general weakness, and discomfort. if these begin to manifest, then death has become irreversible.*PNA