by FFE PH News staff

The Department of Health (DOH) has advised residents of Leyte and Samar that were displaced by typhoon Yolanda to disinfect water before drinking after finding fecal contamination in several drinking water samples.

A team composed of representatives from DOH, Maynilad, Manila Water and Local Water Utilities Administration conducted water testing on drinking water in areas in Leyte and Eastern Samar and found the presence of E. Coli. bacteria in several samples.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona encouraged local water districts to continue monitoring the water safety of the affected areas and to fix broken water pipes to decrease the risk of contaminating the water supply. Ona also advised residents not to further tamper with the pipes.

Residents should heat water to a rolling boil up to two minutes then allow it to cool down before putting them in clean containers to ensure that the water is safe for drinking, DOH said. The Health department has also been providing chlorine solutions used in treating drinking water.

Ona also advised families to observe proper hand washing and personal hygiene to prevent diarrhea outbreaks. DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO) provided vaccinations to children affected by typhoon Yolanda to prevent polio and measles outbreak in the past.

Typhoon Yolanda that hit Eastern Visayas last 8 November killed at least 5,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of survivors.