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s many as 77 toddlers in Keerom regency in Papua are reported to have contracted gastroenteritis this month, one of whom died due to late medication.

Gastroenteritis cases among toddlers were discovered across six villages in Arso and East Arso subdistricts. “Those who arrived at the hospital had already suffered a period of prior vomiting and diarrhea at home,” Yunince Pabeno, a Kwaingga Hospital staffer, said on Friday.

Currently, 27 toddlers continue to receive treatment in four special wards of the hospital. One of them, six-month-old Ivansius Nabar, has been suffering with diarrhea for three days.

Yani Watae, Ivansius’ mother, believes her son may have come into contact with contaminated drinking water following the flash flood in March.

“The color of the groundwater we use for drinking water has changed from clear to yellow. It was clean before the flash flood,” she said.

Yunince said officers from the Keerom Health Office had taken feces samples from patients. The samples are to be examined at the Papua Health Office lab to determine the cause of the diarrhea and vomiting.

“Nothing like this has affected a such a large number of children before. We must conduct laboratory tests to determine the cause,” she said.

Arso community leader Tarwinto said Keerom had gained its autonomous regency status 13 years earlier. The area is not yet equipped with clean water utility. “We’ve not been equipped with the services of a tap water company so we still consume groundwater,” he said.