October 25, 2010. Cholera death toll increases in Haiti, outbreak stabilizes

SOURCE:

Altegrity Risk International

The death toll from a recent cholera outbreak in Haiti has risen to 253, according to Health Department officials on October 24th. There have been a total of 3,015 confirmed cases of cholera, and authorities have feared that the outbreak would reach refugee camps in Port-au-Prince, where it would likely spread quickly and uncontrollably. However, on October 25th authorities said that the outbreak was stabilizing in critical areas.

Thus far, some five people tested positive for cholera in Port-au-Prince; those cases were of people who had become infected in the outbreak zone of Artibonite, north of Port-au-Prince, and do not indicate an outbreak in the city.

Cholera is a waterborne bacterial infection transmitted primarily through drinking contaminated water and unsanitary conditions. Authorities suspect the Artibonite River, which irrigates Haiti's rural center and provides water for thousands, is contaminated.

Copyright © 2010, Altegrity Risk International, Inc.