DOH cautions residents in areas affected by Ruby vs. diarrhea via contaminated food, drink

Published December 7, 2014 7:06am

The Department of Health on Saturday night advised residents in areas affected by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) to be more careful about the food or water they consume, lest they get diarrhea.

In a post on its Twitter account, the DOH said diarrhea can be transmitted via the ingestion of contaminated food and water.

“Mag-ingat po tayo sa mga maruruming pagkain at inumin at baka tayo ay magkaroon ng diarrhea,” it said.

Signs of diarrhea include passage of watery stool at least thrice a day, excessive thirst, sunken eyeballs, and sunken fontanel in infants.

It can be treated with continued feeding and oral rehydration solution or rice soup ("am") to replace lost body fluid.

However, the DOH said diarrhea can be prevented by:

drinking water only from safe sources
if unsure, boiling water for three minutes or chlorinate water
eating food that is well-cooked and properly prepared
avoiding eating street food
keeping food away from insects and rats by covering them
washing fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking
using toilet when defecating
washing hands before eating and after using the toilet.

—Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

Tags: ruby, hagupit, healthhabits, departmentofhealth