International

Five New Cases of Cholera Reported in Haiti

Justin Velez

On Monday October 25^, 2010, a United Nations spokesman has reported five cholera cases in Haiti. Public health officials in Port-au-Prince are working hard to control the spread of cholera in the sprawling tent cities where tens of thousands of people are still living as a result of he 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which hit on January 12, 2010. The quake destroyed much of the capital’s infrastructure and created a crisis in sanitation. Already 253 Haitians have died from Cholera, and 3,015 cases have been reported. Health experts are hopeful that since they caught this outbreak early, they can effectively contain it from further spread. Yet as a precautionary measure, officials are stepping up sanitation efforts and setting up quarantines in Port-au-Prince. USAID had pledged to provide additional supplies for the treatment centers, with some 300,000 oral re-hydration kits and purification kits to be used in the affected areas. The next few weeks will dictate how badly the outbreak spreads.

• Cholera: Caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine and, in severe cases, is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. In such cases, rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration and shock, and may even lead to death if left untreated within several hours of the first symptoms. People often contract cholera from contaminated water, especially after it has come into contact with feces.
• Quarantine: A period of time during which a vehicle, person, or material suspected of carrying a contagious disease is detained to prevent further spread of a disease. Government enforced quarantines are often conducted involuntarily, and are used by a country to protect the rests of its population.
• USAID: is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. USAID has been extensively involved in the relief effort in Haiti.

Additional Reading:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/24/haiti.cholera/index.html