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Health authorities in Santiago de Cuba denied on Monday that there are any fatalities or severe patients due to poisoning after the consumption of a product incorrectly marketed as "alum," which some residents used in an attempt to clarify drinking water.
The clarification was made by Dr. Miguel Ángel Díaz Núñez, the general director of Health in the province, after reports circulated on social media – from pro-government profiles – claiming that two people had died due to that cause.
"After a verified record of the deceased, both in adults and pediatric ages, there is no one registered for this cause. We also have no critically ill or severe patients hospitalized for exogenous intoxication," Díaz noted in the official statement issued by the Provincial Health Directorate.
The statement specifies that alum—the common name for aluminum sulfate or potash alum—has chemical properties that can neutralize bacteria and eliminate unwanted odors or tastes in water. It is commonly used as a coagulant in water treatment; however, it warns that its domestic use must be governed by safety measures to avoid risks.
The authorities also reported that active health surveillance is being maintained at all levels of medical care and urged the public to seek information only through official channels.
The statement comes after the spread of messages on social media attributing the alleged deaths to the consumption of a "fake alum" sold illegally on the streets of Santiago de Cuba, amidst citizen complaints about the turbidity of the water following Hurricane Melissa's passage through the eastern region.
The news was initially reported by the official profile "Comunicación Asamblea Santiago Cuba," which on Facebook stated that two workers from the University of Santiago de Cuba had died after consuming a product illegally sold on the streets as “alumbre,” which turned out to be an industrial bleach stolen from the Mar Verde warehouses.
The now-removed post from Facebook warned that "unscrupulous individuals" stole a batch of industrial bleach from the Mar Verde warehouses and are selling it as if it were "alum bleach."
On its part, the Provincial Delegation of Hydraulic Resources of Santiago de Cuba also issued an urgent alert to the population regarding the illegal sale of a product known as “alumbre”, which is reportedly being distributed on the streets as a supposed water purifier, despite posing a serious health risk.
“Residents of Santiago de Cuba are warned not to purchase the product known as ‘alumbre’, which is being sold illegally on the streets. This product poses a serious health risk,” states the statement –still published– shared by the entity on social media.
The initial warning, followed by the denial, comes in a context of a health emergency in Santiago de Cuba, where the passage of Hurricane Melissa nearly a month ago caused significant damage to the hydraulic infrastructure.
Since then, the water has been arriving at homes with abundant sediments and a dark brown hue, which has led many residents to resort to using alum in an attempt to clarify it.
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