AGE hits 68 pct of Iloilo City barangays

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

More than half of the barangays in Iloilo City were hit by the acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak, according to the head of the Iloilo City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (ICESU) on Tuesday.

ICESU data as of Sept 19, 2022 indicated that out of the 180 barangays, 68 percent, or 122, were already affected by AGE.

Jaro logged the most barangays with AGE cases (28), followed by City Proper (24), Molo (21), Arevalo and La Paz (14 each), Mandurriao (12), and Lapuz (10).

The most affected barangay is Calaparan in Arevalo district (28), followed by Calumpang in Molo (25), San Juan in Molo (24), Molo Boulevard in Molo and Rizal Estanzuela in City Proper (22 each), and Santo Niño Sur in Arevalo (21) in the top five.

Currently, 33 barangays have 1 case each as of Sept 19:

• San Jose, and Santo Niño Sur in Arevalo district;
• Bonifacio Tanza, Flores, Gloria, Muelle Loney-Montes, Rima-Rizal, and Villa Anita in City Proper;
• Balantang, Bito-on, Calubihan, Camalig, Democracia, Montinola, San Roque, Tacas, and Tagbac in Jaro district;
• Aguinaldo, Banuyao, Divinagracia, Jereos, and Railway in La Paz district;
• Jalandoni Estate, Loboc, Punong, and Rizal Lapuz Sur in Lapuz district;
• Airport, Hibao-an Sur, PHHC Block 22 NHA, and Tabucan in Mandurriao district; and
• Cochero, Poblacion Molo, and Taal in Molo district.

With 36 active cases (21 at home and 15 in hospitals), only 27 are currently affected by the disease, with Arevalo having the most number (8 cases across 6 barangays), according to ICESU chief Dr. Marigold Calsas in a virtual press conference.

Out of the 11 new cases, Lapuz had the most with 5 (2 in Brgy. Don Esteban and 1 each in Brgys. Barrio Obrero, Jalandoni Estate, and Loboc), followed by City Proper with 2 (both in Brgy. General Hughes).

Other districts that have at least 1 new case each include Arevalo (Brgy. Quezon), La Paz (Brgy. Gustilo), Mandurriao (Brgy. Bolilao), and Molo (Brgy. San Antonio).

Jaro was the only district that did not log new AGE cases.

Out of the 618 total AGE cases in the city, there are also 570 recoveries and 12 deaths. There were new cholera cases, remaining at 12.

Calsas warned that despite the growing number of AGE recoveries, there is no indication yet of a downtrend despite a lower 7-day average of AGE cases in the city at 12 (Sept. 13 to 19), down from 42 (Aug. 31 to Sept. 6).