107 hospitalized for diarrhea

107 hospitalized for diarrhea

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: One hundred and seven residents of the Katobu district, Muna regency, were treated for diarrhea during an outbreak which started last week.

No fatalities were reported and doctors have released most of the patients.

The Antara news agency quoted Mohammad Ali, head of the local Ministry of Health office, as saying yesterday that the disease spread because most of the water sources in the area had been contaminated during recent floods.

Ali said no deaths occurred because a team of medical workers were promptly sent to treat the patients and contain the spread of the disease.

"Let's not talk about days...a diarrhea patient, unless given proper medical or traditional treatment, can die of dehydration within hours," he said. (swe)