The Capiz Provincial Government has recorded 32 suspected cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) —commonly referred to as red tide — including one death as of Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Of the suspected cases, 31 were brought to various health facilities in Capiz while a nine-year-old boy died, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The boy, who reportedly ate green mussels or “tahong” from an unknown source, was among the 28 suspected PSP cases from the town of Pilar. Other suspected cases were from Pontevedra (3), and Roxas City (1).
The youngest patient was 6 years old while the eldest was 87 years old, according to PHO public information officer Ayr R. Altavas.
The PHO-Capiz Epidemiological Surveillance and Response Unit (CESRU) is currently investigating the reported information from health workers of the Bailan District Hospital in Pontevedra about patients who experienced abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness, dizziness, loss of balance, among others, after eating green mussels on Aug. 22.
Governor Fredenil Castro ordered provincial government-run health facilities to continue monitoring and providing patients with appropriate medical interventions.
He also urged the public to heed Executive Order No. 20 issued by Pilar Mayor Arnold A. Perez, temporarily prohibiting the gathering, harvesting, transporting, selling and consuming of all forms of shellfish within the municipality.
In a report by the Philippine News Agency, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed the presence of the species of harmful algal cells or the Pyrodinium bahamense in the coastal waters of Roxas City, Ivisan, Sapian and Pilar.
The Pyrodinium bahamense is the primary organism responsible for PSP.IMT
