lower limbs of the 19 patients are swollen but the physicians could not exactly diagnose the kind of ailment
Zamboanga City (ANTARA News) - Health authorities are baffled by a mysterious disease that has so far killed four people and hospitalized 19 others who are all residents of a coastal barangay in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.

The 19 people, PNA-0ANA told, who are all residents of Barangay Mantibo, Sibuco, municipality in Phillipines and affected by the unknown disease are presently admitted at the government-run Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC).

The lower limbs of the 19 patients are swollen but the physicians could not exactly diagnose the kind of ailment that struck them.

The patients complained of cramps, loss of appetite and vomiting.

Sibuco municipal Mayor Bong Edding has recommended the conduct of laboratory test to determine the disease.

Officials at the ZCMC have not issued any statement yet since they have to conduct laboratory analysis first.

Edding disclosed that he ordered his municipal health officer to check if there are still residents in Mantibo who are afflicted with the same kind ailment but were not brought to the hospital.

Edding described Mantibo, which is a coastal barangay, as a typical normal village where there is not much activities like mining and others that may bring disease.

The barangay of Manbito has close to a thousand residents, Edding said.

(ANT.H-AK)

Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2011