2 dead, 12 others hospitalized after eating cassava

KIDAPAWAN
CITY – Two
children died while 12 others, all members of a
Lumad community, were hospitalized after eating a
wild cassava in a village here on Friday.
Health authorities identified the fatalities as Irene
Diarog, 4, and her sister, Jessica, 3, both residents
of Sitio Ambag, Barangay Santo Nino, Kidapawan
City.
Of the 12 that survived the food poisoning, six are
still confined at the New Cebu District Hospital in
Barangay New Cebu, President Roxas in North
Cotabato.
They were identified as Ronalyn Almadin and her
sister Renalyn, and Alvin Diarog and his siblings
Arnel, Honey, and Sarah.
The others are out patients at the New Cebu
District Hospital and were identified as Ronnie
Almadin, Archie Diarog, Ronalyn Ambag, Jaya
Ambag, John Rey Sandigan, and Joshua John
Embac, all residents of Barangay Santo Nino.
Reports said the families of Diarog, Sandigan,
Embac, Ambag, and Almadin, all belonging to the
Manobo tribe, have eaten the same wild cassava
tubers prepared for their meal.
City Mayor Joseph Evangelista has sent a team of
experts from the City Health Office on Saturday to
look into the situation of the lumads and find out
what caused the food poisoning.
Evangelista said he will convene the Local Health
Board for an emergency meeting on Monday to
warn the public, especially those residing in the
hinterlands, about the dangers in eating 'wild
cassava tubers'.
Psalmer Bernalte, head of the Public Safety Division
of the City Government, said that with what
happened to the lumad community in Barangay
Santo Nino, they will strengthen their information
education campaign as regards eating of wild
cassava, especially to those living in the
hinterlands.
Also, they already sent samples of cassava to the
Department of Health for toxicity tests.
Citing several studies, city health officials said the
root crop contains hydrocyanic acid (HCN), which is
considered dangerous.
They said that if it's eaten more than what the
body can handle this chemical compound, studies
showed, can kill.
During summer, they added, the level of cyanide in
root crops increases because the soil is dry.
"I highly recommended that eating of wild cassava
should be stopped and that propagation of cassava
for human consumption should first be certified by
an expert from the Department of Agriculture,"
Bernalte said.

Sent From David Aniemeka