Clustered Hepatitis A cases hit several Valencia City barangays

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — City health officials here have sounded the alarm over a clustering of Hepatitis A cases allegedly linked to local barangay water systems, with six patients currently reported hospitalized.Cipriano Pat, City Health Disease Surveillance Officer who conducted an on-the-ground investigation, told the Inquirer on Friday that male patients aged 17 to 24 have been hospitalized, with five confined at a private hospital and one at a government facility.Pat noted that five of the positive Hepatitis A cases are neighbors in Barangay Lurugan.

Hepatitis A is a liver inflammation caused by the Hepatitis A virus.

Preliminary investigations by the City Health Office and the Epidemiology, Disease Surveillance, and Research Division headed by Myra Dianne Valero point to local barangay water systems as the likely source of infection, while ruling out street food or commercial food exposures.The Environmental Sanitation Division has deployed teams to conduct water sampling across affected puroks (hamlets) to test community water safety, with laboratory results being awaited.

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Pat disputed speculations that the situation constitutes a Hepatitis A outbreak.

A total of nine individuals have sought medical attention or hospitalization due to symptoms like yellowish eyes and skin across Barangay Lurugan, Barangay Poblacion, and Barangay Kahaponan.Valero confirmed that no fatalities have been reported among the patients.Health officials are coordinating with regional sanitation and educational departments to monitor the situation as they urged for community vigilance.