2 of 6 glanders patients die in Siquijor, DOH confirms

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The two patients succumb to complications at a hospital in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Two of the six confirmed glanders patients in Siquijor have died, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, May 28.

The two succumbed at a hospital in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, part of the Negros Island Region (NIR), due to complications, said Dr. Nikka Hao, director of DOH-NIR.

The DOH did not release details about the deceased.

The same day, Albert Barrogo, acting director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in NIR, ordered the immediate cessation of backyard slaughtering of two-hoofed animals, such as goats, cattle, carabaos, and pigs, throughout Siquijor.

Barrogo said the order was part of efforts to contain the spread of glanders in Suquijor and the region.

The DOH said health frontliners in Siquijor were alerted and tasked to start data gathering and contact tracing in communities where the victims came from.

Glanders is a zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, a bacterium found in sick or dead livestock. 

The DOH confirmed infections in three of Siquijor’s six municipalities: Larena, Siquijor, and San Juan. It marked the first known occurrence of glanders in the island province.

The country had five cases between 2023 and 2024 in Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the Mimaropa region.

Barrogo said they were still awaiting the results of blood samples collected last week from over 100 goats, cattle, and carabaos in Siquijor.

While culling may be an option, he said the results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will be the basis of the Bureau of Animal Industry’s directive.

“We’ll wait for the order from BAI. That is the basic protocol,” he said.

Dr. Hao explained that glanders, while deadly, can be prevented in humans through antibiotics.

“Good personal hygiene can also prevent people from getting the disease,” she said. “What is important is the early detection and treatment.”

Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Palermo-Maestral said Task Force One Health is monitoring the situation closely to prevent a potential outbreak. – Rappler.com