Cholera spreads in Haiti

Cholera spreads in Haiti

A declared cholera epidemic has worsened in Haiti prompting health authorities and foreign aid organizations to scramble to fight the most severe health crisis for the impoverished country since it was struck by a strong quake in January.

Haiti’s Ministry of Health has confirmed 2,364 cholera cases and 194 deaths, according to Imogen Wall, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations.

The initial cases outside the rural Artibonite province, where the outbreak began, were reported in Arcahaie town near Haiti’s ravaged capital Port-au-Prince.

Authorities fear the epidemic may spread to the refugee camps and tent cities where thousands of quake survivors temporarily live.

“It will be very, very dangerous,” said Claude Surena, president of the Haitian Medical Association. “Port-au-Prince already has more than 2.4 million people, and the way they are living is dangerous enough already.”

“It’s concentrated in Artibonite right now and we’re doing our best to keep it that way,” Wall said.

Wall said they are unable to satisfactorily implement quarantine procedures for patients and the remains of victims.

“Part of the problem has been people are moving around a lot, and there hasn’t been proper isolation in place at the clinic,” she said.

There were no cholera cases reported in Haiti prior to the quake, but doctors said that the cramped, unsanitary conditions present in camps are conducive for cholera and other water-borne diseases to develop.

Cholera is an infection that can be spread by dirty water. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, severe stomach pain and the illness can cause dehydration and death when left untreated.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday October 23 2010, 7:47 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0