Hundreds of Residents Experience Mass Diarrhea on the South Coast, Four People Die

Mass diarrhea in Pesisir Selatan is thought to have occurred because the community's water sources were contaminated with "E coli" bacteria.

DOKUMENTASI DINKES PESISIR SELATAN

Officers supervise, monitor and evaluate health services for patients affected by the extraordinary incident of diarrhea at the Surantiah Community Health Center, Sutera District, Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra, Friday (3/5/2024).

PADANG, KOMPAS — Hundreds of people experienced mass diarrhea in Sutera District, South Pesisir Regency, West Sumatra. Four of them died. The event designated as extraordinary event is thought to have occurred due to water sources being contaminated with bacteria.

Acting Head of the Department of Health (Dinkes) Pesisir Selatan Regency Intan Novia Fatma explained, from April 21 2024 to Sunday (5/5/2024), there were 143 residents who experienced diarrhea. "A total of 104 people were declared cured, 4 people died, and 15 people were being treated," he said, Sunday.

Intan explained that the Pesisir Selatan Regency Government has declared a state of emergency (KLB) related to the mass diarrhea incident. The cost of treatment for patients suffering from diarrhea also is free of charge.

Referral hospitals are alerted to accommodate patients with diarrhea. One of the hospitals on standby is the Dr. Muhammad Zein Painan Regional General Hospital, located in South Pesisir.

Intan explained that mass diarrhea allegedly occurred because residents' water sources were contaminated by Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria which came from feces. So far, some local residents have had the habit of drinking water without boiling it.

He added that the community's drinking water source comes from the Pincuran Langit water source in Nagari Rawang Gunung Malelo Surantih, Sutera District, South Coast.

To determine the cause of the mass diarrhea, a team from several agencies will examine water samples from the source of the water to be tested in the laboratory.

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In addition to the Pesisir Selatan Health Office, the examination also involved the West Sumatra Health Office, the West Sumatra Regional Health Laboratory, the Padang Drug and Food Supervisory Agency (BBPOM), and Andalas University.

"Today the BBPOM team came to take and re-examine water samples," said Intan.

According to him, the South Coastal Regency Government also provides education to residents about how to cook drinking water and food until they are well-cooked. The education is conducted through puskesmas officials, village heads, and religious figures.

KOMPAS/YOLA SASTRA

Residents crossing through the debris of homes destroyed by flash floods in Kampung Ganting, Nagari Ganting Mudiak Selatan Surantih, Sutera District, Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Head of BBPOM Padang, Abdul Rahim, stated that his institution sent a team along with the Sumatran Health Department to the location to take samples of the suspected drinking water source that caused diarrhea. The team also took samples from residents' wells and refillable water depots.

"The water samples will be tested, whether they come from wells or water depots. All of them will be tested because the local community also has a habit of using water from wells or refilled water depots. We will test which ones are potentially causing contamination," he said.

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A total of 104 people were declared cured, 4 people died, and 15 people were treated.

Rahim admits that he cannot speculate on which water source is contaminated. This is because it can only be determined after the laboratory examination results come out.

"In Sutera District, there also appears to have been a flood disaster (last March). So, it is possible that the water sources are contaminated. However, for more certainty, laboratory test results are needed," said Rahim.