Public healthHaiti cholera death rise, disease spreads
Haitian health officials say there had been a 40 percent jump in the number of new cholera cases; the number of people known to have died from a cholera epidemic in Haiti has increased markedly; health officials say 105 more people have died since Saturday, bringing the total to 442
Cholera victims receiving treatment in Haiti // Source: aljazeera.net
The number of people known to have died from a cholera epidemic in Haiti has increased markedly. Health officials say 105 more people have died since Saturday, bringing the total to 442.
They said there had been a 40 percent jump in the number of new cases.
The BBC reportsreports that on Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that all the Haitian patients had the same strain of cholera, one that is most commonly found in South Asia.
The UN is investigating allegations that excrement from Nepalese peacekeepers caused the epidemic.
Health Minister Dr Alex Larsen said, however, that it was unlikely the outbreak’s origin would ever be known.
Haiti had not seen a cholera outbreak for about half a century, and initially many people were unsure of what steps to take to avoid the disease.
Doctors say poor sanitary conditions after January’s earthquake made the country vulnerable to cholera, which is caused by bacteria transmitted through contaminated water or food.
Jocelyn Pierre-Louis of the Haitian Health Ministry says almost 2,000 people have been taken to hospital with cholera infections since Saturday.
The total number of cases now stands at 6,742, according to the authorities on the island.
Cholera causes diarrhoea and vomiting leading to severe dehydration, and can kill within twenty-four hours if left untreated.
It is easily treated through rehydration and antibiotics.
