EL SALADO, Bahoruco. Contaminated food was the possible source of the leptospirosis, confirmed yesterday by the Minister of Public Health, Bautista Rojas Gomez. The contamination caused the deaths of two persons and the hospitalization of another 33 in the municipal district of El Salado in Bahoruco.

The medical mission that is in the town, led by the director of the Program for Research and Training in Epidemiology, Ronald Skewes Ram, has found out that last 24 October during the birthday party for Yuderka Batista ( Audy), the contaminated food was ingested that caused the outbreak.

In the case of the woman, three of her children that are currently hospitalized and in the family of her husband, Amando Vidal Matos, there are 4 persons ill. Besides these persons, there are cousins and neighbors infected.

The illness has been found in the inhabitants of the Los Cayucos barrio exclusively. However, this thesis is denied by the family that declared that not all of the persons affected were at the birthday party.

The health authorities expect to receive the results of the analysis of the patients and of the tests done on the water that they took from the canal that goes through the sector and that provides the water for Galvan, as a way to strengthen their hypothesis regarding leptospirosis and the birthday party.

Of those that have received medical attention, 24 are hospitalized in the Jaime Mota Hospital in Barahona, and the others have been given a medical release. Two of them have been declared to be out of danger but are still under observation.

The epidemiologists stated that the situation in El Salado was under control and called upon the inhabitants of the nearby towns to return to normal a get back to their jobs.

A common focal point

Freddy Medina, the regional director of epidemiology indicated that the persons hospitalized present a series of symptoms, time of illness and geographical space that indicate that the illness has a common focal point.

According to the Public Health team in the area, of the 35 victims, 95% are between the ages of 6 and 19, only two are older than 20, among these two was the fatal victim Noel Rodriguez, 22.

The director of Region IV of Public Health, Rafael Sanchez, declared that the patients are evolving satisfactorily and they will soon return to their homes.

The classes at the three schools in Galvan were suspended after the outbreak that had terrorized the inhabitants of the nearby communities and caused many residents to flee the area.

On Sunday the sick children began to arrive at the San Bartolome Hospital in Neyba, presenting symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory problems, fever, dizziness and headaches.

The patients overflowed the hospital's capacity and were referred to Barahona where they occupy four of the pediatric wards in the hospital and have had to share beds. The children look to be in good spirits.

Hospitalized

Of the fatalities reported, un until now, only one was positive for leptospirosis after preliminary laboratory analysis.

Last Tuesday, five new patients were interned in the Jaime Mota Hospital in Barahona, according to a report from pediatrician Luis Canario, who said that with these five the total is now 23 persons hospitalized there. Of this number 17 are children and the rest adults, most with some family relationship. The authorities from Pulblic Health still say that they are dealing with an outbreak of leptospirosis that is affecting these persons.

De Diario Libre