By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

IN December, there was a reported outbreak of gastroenteritis. When the story first came out some blamed it to the sewer problems, the Ministry of Health said a test or a study will be conducted to pinpoint the real cause of the gastroenteritis.
Until now however, we do not know what really causes it, at least to us who are not medical experts.
A friend who is a doctor told me that gastroenteritis can be caused by a virus or bacteria.
These viruses I learned can also be found in contaminated food or drinking water.
My friend said viral gastroenteritis is like a common colds, there is no cure, it will resolve on its own, the complication of this illness however is dehydration.
Because it is viral, the illness can spread easily even through holding of doors by a contaminated person. The viruses are easily transmitted through unwashed hands.
The cases as of yesterday reached 777, the cases slowed down in the past few days but it is peaking again.
With a 20,000 population, the 777 already constitute 4 percent of the population is already a high and alarming number.
These numbers does not include those individuals which do not come for the hospital for treatment or even check-up.
However, the Ministry of Health’s campaign against the disease is laudable.
The ministry is quick to launch a campaign to inform the whole nation on what to do to prevent further spread of the disease.
The ministry has also made rounds of schools to remind children about washing their hands thoroughly.
Gastroenteritis affected everyone, the young and the old, it is most difficult to the kids who suffer from the symptoms longer.
The ministry is constantly reminding restaurants and establishments to properly handle preparation of food to keep customers safe from the disease.
The ministry is on top of things, rest assured that despite continuing cases of the disease, proper care and treatment will be provided.
Tsunami watch lifted
On Jan. 13, Saturday a tsunami watch is in effect in some areas in the Pacific which include Palau.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami watch also for Guam, Marshall Islands, Yap, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Philippines, Kosrae, Johnston Iss, Hawaii, Indonesia, Kiribati, Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
The watch alert have been issued following a 8.2 magnitude earthquake off of Japan.
The tsunami watch was lifted on Sunday.
The center’s alert said if the tsunami would have occurred in Palau, it would have hit us last Saturday.
The situation is still being monitored, we can all heave a sigh that it did not occur because we might not have been ready for it.
The warning reminds us of the importance of a tsunami warning system. An organized alert service covers the Pacific Ocean unlike the Indian Ocean.
The lack of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean has killed over 200,000 people during the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.
The tsunami killed people over the areas in Indonesia, Thailand and the north-western coast of Malaysia to thousands of kilometres away in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and it also affected Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania in eastern Africa.