Haiti - Cholera: 1.415 deaths, 25.248 hospitalisations

[Treyfish]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Haiti-cholera cases of acute diarrhea treated in Port-au-Prince


Haiti: A score of people suffering from "acute diarrhea" were allowed two days in a cholera treatment center established in Port-au-Prince by Doctors without Borders (MSF) said on Sunday from corroborating sources .

In a report on the situation of the disease, MSF states have "taken care of several patients with acute diarrhea" without specifying the number. According to a source contacted, and who requested anonymity, twenty people were received in the center of the NGO.:tiphat:http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article.php?PubID=10&ArticleID=1052&PubDate=2010-10-24

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101024.3856</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>24-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/EDR> Cholera - Haiti (03): (AR) Port-au-Prince, O1</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CHOLERA - HAITI (03): (L'ARTIBONITE), PORT-AU-PRINCE, O1***********************************************A ProMED-mail post<http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<http://www.isid.org>[1]Date: Sun 24 Oct 2010Source: MSNBC [edited]<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39817954/ns/health-infectious_diseases>
</PRE>
An outbreak of cholera has spread from a rural valley in central
Haiti to the nation's capital, intensifying worries the disease will
spread in squalid tarp camps that house hundreds of thousands of
earthquake survivors. The death toll from the epidemic topped 200
Saturday [23 Oct 2010], and fears of it propagating in the crowded,
earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince increased after 5 cases were
detected in the city.

UN officials stressed that the 5 cases, the 1st confirmed in the
capital since the epidemic started, were people who had become
infected in the main outbreak zone of Artibonite, north of
Port-au-Prince, and had subsequently traveled to the city, where they
fell sick.

"They were very quickly diagnosed and isolated," UN humanitarian
spokeswoman Imogen Wall told Reuters, citing information from Haitian
health authorities. "This is not a new location of infection." But
prevention measures and surveillance were being increased in
Port-au-Prince, with its squalid sprawling slums and about 1.3
million survivors of the 12 Jan 2010 earthquake packed into tent and
tarpaulin camps. All are highly vulnerable to a virulent diarrhea
disease like cholera.

Health officials are fearful about the outbreak spreading into the
capital, where thousands upon thousands of people are living in
unsanitary conditions in refugee camps.

"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."

With more than 2600 cholera cases reported and experts predicting the
numbers will rise, Haitian and international medical teams are
working desperately to isolate and contain the epidemic in the
Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, north of the rubble-strewn
capital.

Haitian health officials told a news conference Sat 23 Oct 2010 that
194 people had died from cholera in the Artibonite region, the main
outbreak zone, with 14 other deaths in neighboring Central Plateau,
where a prison was among the places affected. The total number of
cases had reached 2674.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[2]
Date: Sat 23 Oct 2010
Source: Notisistema [in Spanish, trans. Corr.SB, edited]
<http://www.notisistema.com/noticias/?p=310422>


Cholera was confirmed on Fri 22 Oct 2010 during the morning by the
Haitian health minister, Alex Larsen, who said that this is cholera
type O1, which is the most dangerous and the source of most outbreaks
of cholera in the world, according to the World Health Organization
(WHO).

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[No transmission has been documented in Port-au-Prince, based on the
observation that the 5 cases had traveled to the capital, not
acquired the infection there. Spread to the capital is likely to be
inevitable, and, given the conditions there, may be a devastating
blow to the earthquake-ravaged city. The organism is reported to be
O1. O1 and O139 are the only strains able to cause epidemic spread of
cholera. The other markers of identification, the strains' biotype
and phenotype, are pending. - Mod.LL]

[HealthMap is posting a continuously updated interactive map of the
cholera situation in Haiti:
<http://www.healthmap.org/haiti/>

PAHO's situation report and map are available at:
<http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4372&Itemid=1926>
- Mod.LM]


[see also:
Cholera - Haiti (02): (AR) confirmed 20101022.3821
Cholera - Haiti: suspected, RFI 20101021.3818
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2010 (24) 20100914.3324
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2010 (23) 20100910.3277
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2010 (22) 20100907.3222
Disease situation, post-earthquake - Haiti 20100207.0411
Disease situation, post-earthquake - Haiti (02) 20100307.0750]
...............................................................sb/ll/msp/lm

...

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,85471

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Haiti toll rises above 250, but new cases taper off

25 October 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti cholera deaths rose on Sunday above 250 but the number of new infections and fatalities began to taper off, offering hope the epidemic might have been contained.

The new toll of 253 dead and 3,115 infections, provided by the director general of Haiti’s health department Gabriel Thimote, represented an increase of only 33 fatalities over a 24-hour period.

The disease “is limited to a well-defined perimeter” in the northern region of Artibonite and part of the central plateau, Foreign Minister Marie-Michele Rey told reporters.

Speaking in Switzerland where she was attending a summit of French-speaking nations, Rey said that for the time being “those who are on the spot appear to be able to contain the situation.”

But fears linger of a major health crisis should the outbreak infiltrate Port-au-Prince’s squalid tent cities, where hundreds of thousands live in awful conditions after being displaced by January’s earthquake.

Read more

Oct 25, 2010

Cholera Outbreak in Haiti 'Far from Stable'

-- More than 250 people have died from an outbreak of cholera in Haiti, and there's concern the outbreak may get worse before it is controlled. Dr. Richard Besser, Chief Health and Medical Editor for ABC News, says the "situation is far from stable."

Officials have traced the outbreak to contaminated water, but the disease continues to spread. More than 3,000 people are known to be infected.

"The people in charge of water and sanitation in Port au Prince are quite concerned," Besser says. "This city is extremely vulnerable given the poor state of water and sanitation."

Water and sanitation systems are still broken from the earthquake that struck the country in January.

Read more

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

'Too early' to say Haiti cholera epidemic over: WHO​

AFP October 25, 2010 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON - The WHO's regional office for the Americas said Monday it was too early to declare the cholera epidemic in Haiti over and refused to be drawn on whether the outbreak had been contained.​

Cholera, eradicated in Haiti for more than 100 years, appeared again last week in central and northern parts along the Artibonite River, killing at least 250 people and infecting more than 3,000.

Haitian officials suggested on Sunday that the outbreak had been contained outside the capital as the number of fatalities and new infections began to taper off.

I think it is too early to tell" if this is the end of the epidemic, Daniel Epstein, a spokesman for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional branch of the World Health Organization, told AFP.

"The pattern of the outbreak is very difficult, if not impossible, to predict," Epstein said.

[...]http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/early+Haiti+cholera+epidemic+over/3722480/story.html#ixzz13O3VB67t

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Local - 25 October 2010, 11:56 AM


Cholera cripples biggest Dominican-Haiti cross-border market


Dajab?n , Dominican Republic.- The outbreak of cholera in Haiti has upended northwest border town Dajab?n?s cross border market on Monday, as only vehicles, merchandise and other products from Dominican Republic are allowed to pass into the enamoring country, said Jose Luis Fernandez, of the Jesuit Service for Migrants and Refugees.

He said only the people who have current documents and visas pass to and from the Haiti town Wanament, after rigorous checks, the obligatory washing of hands and a medical checkup, and are issued a Public Health cholera-free certification afterwards.

[...]
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/lo...s-biggest-Dominican-Haiti-cross-border-market

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

I have not seen a figure this high in any other source - needs corroboration.


Haiti's cholera death toll increases to 369

English.news.cn 2010-10-26 04:51:33 FeedbackPrintRSS

SANTO DOMINGO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of fatal victims in Haiti due to the cholera outbreak has increased to 369 and more than 3,000 people are infected, Haitian authorities said on Monday.

According to information reaching here from Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, the Haitian authorities said that the total number of infected people is 3,015.

The authorities said that 46 percent of the deaths were hospitalized patients, while the other 54 percent was the people without access to health services.
continues at; http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/26/c_13574916.htm

Editor: Mu Xuequan

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Los muertos por c?lera ya son 369 y los afectados 3.015, dice AECID

Noticias EFE

Madrid, 25 oct (EFE).- El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores ha asegurado hoy que los muertos por c?lera en Haiti ascienden ya a 369 y que el n?mero de infectados es de 3.015, lo que supone un 10 por ciento de mortalidad.
Seg?n datos del Ministerio, el 46 por ciento de las muertes se ha producido entre personas que estaban siendo atendidas en los hospitales, mientras que el otro 54 por ciento ser?a de haitianos que no hab?an contactado con los servicios de salud.
Estos son algunos de los datos aportados por la secretaria de Estado de Cooperaci?n al Desarrollo, Soraya Rodr?guez, tras presidir una reuni?n de coordinaci?n de las ONG espa?olas que act?an en la isla.


more...

http://www.ideal.es/agencias/201010...colera-afectados-3.015-dice_201010251530.html

machine translation -

The deads by rage already are 369 and the affected 3,015, say AECID

The news EFE

Madrid, 25 oct (EFE). - The Ministry of Outer Subjects has assured today that the deads by rage in infected Haiti ascend already to 369 and that the number of is of 3,015, which supposes a 10 percent of mortality.
According to data of the Ministry, the 46 percent of the deaths has taken place between people who were being taken care of in the hospitals, whereas the other 54 percent would be of Haitians who had not contacted with the services of health.
These are some of the data contributed by the Secretary of State of Cooperation to the Development, Soraya Rodriguez, after presiding over a meeting of coordination of the Spanish ONG that act in the island.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

It appears that the UN is reporting that the number of cases rose by 369. Not deaths....



Haiti: Cholera Situation Report #3 - 24 October 2010


Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Date: 24 Oct 2010

Full_Report (pdf* format - 64 Kbytes)


I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES
• President René Préval, accompanied by several ministers travelled to St Marc where a round table discussion was held with local authorities to discuss how best to respond to the crisis.
• Today the death toll increased by 45 while the number of cases rose by 369 across the Artibonite, Central and West departments.





more...


http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MMAH-8AK8PF?OpenDocument

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

It is typical for case numbers and death toll numbers to be inaccurate in the early days of an emerging health emergency.

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Haiti to to be affected by cholera 'for years to come'

By Jon Swaine in New York
Published: 3:23PM BST 26 Oct 2010
<!-- COMMENTS DISABLED IN SECTION PROPERTIES -->

Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES


..."There will probably be cases in the future, now that the bacteria is well established in the environment," said Jon Andrus, the deputy director of the WHO's regional branch.

"Now that cholera has established itself with a strong foothold in Haiti, it's clear to us that this will not go away for several years," he said.

[...]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...be-affected-by-cholera-for-years-to-come.html

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

WHO, Cholera in Haiti (10/26/10, edited)


[Source: World Health Organization, <cite cite="http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_10_26/en/index.html">WHO | Cholera in Haiti</cite>. Edited.]

Cholera in Haiti

26 October 2010


As of the evening of 25 October, the Ministry of Health of the Government of Haiti has reported 3 342 confirmed cases including 259 fatalities.

Suspected cases are being investigated in the North and South departments, and five cases have been confirmed in the West Department, where the capital, Port-au-Prince is located.

Currently there are 12 cholera treatment centers being built to support isolation and treatment of cases: six in Artibonite, one in Central, and five in Port-au-Prince.

The emphasis is on prevention by ensuring clean water, promoting good personal hygiene, and food handling practices, including hand washing and trying to prevent defecation in open areas.

As just under half of reported deaths so far are taking place in hospitals, but more than half are in the community, PAHO is in the process of mobilizing experts in the area of proper body disposal to travel to Haiti.

WHO's Region for the Americas (PAHO) continues to mobilize international experts including epidemiologists, risk communication, case management, laboratory, water and sanitation, logistics, and LSS/SUMA (humanitarian supply management system) to Haiti and also to the Dominican Republic.

PAHO?s PROMESS (Program on Essential Medicine and Supplies) warehouse currently has stocks of medicines and antibiotics, and PAHO is procuring additional stocks of intravenous fluids and medical supplies.

PAHO is also supporting the Water & Sanitation Cluster in Haiti providing powdered chlorine (including supplies from Brazil) for water purification and testing water that is being distributed to settlement camps. PAHO is also making special efforts to ensure clean water in hospitals.

While no cases of cholera have been reported in Dominican Republican, the outbreak has prompted the Government to mobilize a contingency plan in the border area.

PAHO?s Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) located in Trinidad is helping Caribbean ministries of health to mobilize and be prepared for any potential cases in the other islands.

PAHO continues to coordinate these efforts with other UN agencies, and with health officials in the USA and Canada. Relief efforts continue as the government, MINUSTAH (the United Nations Stabilization Force in Haiti), UN agencies and NGOs are continuing to provide assistance in a growing number of locations.


FOR MORE INFORMATION

• WHO cholera Fact sheet
• PAHO Responds to Cholera Outbreak in Haiti (The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) website)

-
------

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 253 people, at least 3,000 infected

Nearly 300 in Haiti now dead from cholera
Disease said to be 'settling,' but fight is on to keep it out of crowded Port-au-Prince
Reuters
updated 29 minutes ago 2010-10-26T22:49:30
PORT-AU-PRINCE ? Deaths from Haiti's cholera epidemic approached 300 on Tuesday, and health experts said the illness would "settle" in the poor Caribbean nation, joining other endemic diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.

The week-old epidemic of the deadly diarrheal disease has so far mostly affected the central Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, with an accumulated 295 deaths and 3,612 cases registered to date, Haitian health authorities said.

continues at;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39858279/ns/health-infectious_diseases/

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

University of Florida

URGENT -- Travel to Haiti

From: Joe Glover, Provost
Re: URGENT -- Travel to Haiti
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010

After consulting with medical personnel about the outbreak of cholera in Haiti, we are rescinding any waivers permitting UF travel to Haiti for undergraduate students. UF travel to Haiti for undergraduates is not permitted until public health conditions improve in Haiti.

UF travel for faculty and graduate students is discouraged, but is permitted provided: (1) they are fully informed about the risks, (2) the travel has been approved by the Dean of the International Center and the Dean of the College, and (3) they carry with them a personal rehydration kit to be used in case of cholera.

As you have read in the news, cholera has become a serious medical and civil order problem in Haiti. This disease progresses quickly when contracted. Finding medical assistance in Haiti in case of illness could be problematic. Because there is risk of rapid dehydration, personal rehydration kits are required for use in case of illness.

There are conflicting reports emerging about the extent of the epidemic.

There is reason to suspect that it has spread more widely than has been reported to date in the press.

Faculty and graduate students who are contemplating travel to Haiti and who wish to inform themselves more fully about the risks associated with cholera in Haiti may consult several experts among the UF faculty, including: Professor Gregory Gray (chair of Environmental and Global Health, PHHP), Professor Afsar Ali (Environmental and Global Health, PHHP), and Professor Glenn Morris (Director, Emerging Pathogens Institute). For additional information about UF policies relating to international travel, please contact Dr. David Sammons, Director of the UF International Center.

David J. Sammons, Ph.D.
Dean, UF International Center
sammons@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 273-1523

http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/haiti/HaitiTravel.html
​

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

University of Florida is a very reputable institution.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Cité Soleil is a big slum of Port-au-Prince. First report of local acquired cholera.

thanks to Crof


10/27/2010

FLASH REPORT: Cholera In Cite Soleil

As evidenced in multiple reports by the HEAS, a clear route of cholera transmission from Artibonite existed along the coastal highway from Arachaie to Lafito to, potentially, "Camp Obama" and (of greater concern) Cite Soleil. As feared, cholera has now been reported in Cite Soleil in a case without a travel history from Artibonite Valley:

The clinic in Cite Soleil treated a patient this morning that presented at the clinic with rice water diarrhea and vomiting. It is the considered diagnosis of the tropical medicine experienced physician at the clinic that this is cholera.

It was further determined that this individual had not traveled outside of Cite Soleil. It is of very great concern that the case history proved that this patient has not been away nor does she ever travel from her home in Cite Soleil. This transmission occurred in Cite Soleil.

- snip -

The team considers this a priority alert for Port-au-Prince worthy of immediate investigation.

Read more

 

[mixin]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

I don't know if there is something special about the weave of sari cloth; but maybe this will give them something to try.

----------------------------------------------

Simple Sari Cloth Filtration of Water Is Sustainable and Continues To Protect Villagers from Cholera in Matlab, Bangladesh

A method for simple filtration of water for domestic use, including drinking, was devised; this method employs cotton sari cloth, a material readily available to village women in Bangladesh. When this method was tested in the laboratory, using 1 to 4 layers of sari cloth to filter pond and river water containing V. cholerae attached to small crustacean zooplanktonic copepods and particulate matter, this simple procedure successfully reduced the number of V. cholerae bacteria by 2 log units.

Whether 1, 2, 3, or 4 layers of sari cloth was used as a filter, the number of V. cholerae bacteria in the water was reduced by ca. 90%. Four layers of sari cloth were considered optimal for water filtration, since it consistently removed >99% of the bacteria, but 2 or 3 layers were approximately equally effective.

Sari filtration is easy to use, does not require extensive training, is socially acceptable, and, most importantly, involves no additional cost to the household. Where conditions of extreme poverty or local disasters prevent access to potable water, notably in areas where cholera is endemic and areas subject to social disruptions, simple filtration can be deployed with a beneficial outcome to public health.

Anwar Huq, Mohammed Yunus, Syed Salahuddin Sohel, Abbas Bhuiya, Michael Emch, Stephen P. Luby, Estelle Russek-Cohen*, G. Balakrish Nair*, R. Bradley Sack, and Rita R. Colwell
http://mbio.asm.org/content/1/1/e00034-10.full

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

See also this thread on a recent outbreak of cholera in Nepal.


UN probes Haiti base for cholera source

Cholera outbreak kills 303, leaves 4,722 in hospital

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 |

UN investigators took samples of foul-smelling waste trickling behind a Nepalese peacekeeping base toward an infected river system Wednesday, following accusations that excrement from the new unit caused the cholera epidemic that has sickened more than 4,000 people in the earthquake-ravaged country.

Associated Press journalists who were visiting the base unannounced happened upon the investigators.

Mission spokesman Vincenzo Pugliese confirmed that the military team was testing for cholera — the first public acknowledgment that the 12,000-member force is investigating allegations that its base played a role in the outbreak.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/10/27/haiti-cholera-peacekeeper-base.html#ixzz13dolXLvP

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 295 people, at least 3,612 infected

Cholera expected to spread to Haiti's camps

October 28, 2010

Officials warn that Haiti's cholera epidemic that has claimed almost 300 lives has yet to peak, and that authorities should prepare for the disease to spread to the capital and its squalid tent cities.

A total of 4,147 people were being treated for the disease, said the head of Haiti's health department Gabriel Thimote, while eight new fatalities brought the death toll Wednesday to 292.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the outbreak was far from over and Haiti should prepare for the disease to hit its capital Port-au-Prince, which is teeming with tent cities after January's catastrophic earthquake.

"We cannot say it is contained," WHO's cholera chief, Claire-Lise Chaignat, told journalists in Geneva.

Read more

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 305 people, at least 4,649 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 305 people, at least 4,649 infected

U.N. investigates allegations of cholera source in Haiti

<!--startclickprintexclude--><!--endclickprintexclude-->By the CNN Wire Staff<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>cnnAuthor = "By the CNN Wire Staff";</SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if(location.hostname.indexOf( 'edition.' ) > -1) {document.write('October 28, 2010 -- Updated 1831 GMT (0231 HKT)');} else {document.write('October 28, 2010 2:31 p.m. EDT');}</SCRIPT>October 28, 2010 2:31 p.m. EDTOctober 28, 2010 2:31 p.m. EDTOctober 28, 2010 -- Updated 1831 GMT (0231 HKT)

(CNN) -- Preliminary tests on a suspected source of the cholera outbreak in Haiti were negative, U.N. peacekeepers said Thursday.
...

The mission said it "has taken very seriously the allegations that sewage water coming from latrines at the back of the Nepalese military base in Mirebalais could be the source of the cholera outbreak in Haiti."

... Additional samples were taken this week and results are expected by Friday.

The death toll from the cholera outbreak has risen to 305, and the number of confirmed cholera cases has reached 4,649, the Haitian government said Thursday.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/28/haiti.cholera/

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 305 people, at least 4,649 infected

Re: Haiti: Cholera has killed 305 people, at least 4,649 infected

Cholera in Haiti - update

28 October 2010 -- </SPAN>As of 27 October, the Ministry of Health in Haiti (MSPP) reported 4 722 cholera cases including 303 deaths. The departments reporting confirmed cases are Artibonte (76.5%), Central (22.9%), Nord-Est, and Nord.

Priorities of the Government of Haiti's National Response Strategy to the Cholera Epidemic are to protect families at the community level, to strengthen primary health care centers already operating across the nation, and to establish a network of Cholera Treatment Centers and designated hospitals for treatment of severe cases.

The strains of Vibrio cholerae 01 Ogawa isolated in Haiti and tested by the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed resistance to the following antibiotics: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, furazolidone, nalidixic acid, and streptomycin. The strains are sensitive to tetracycline, doxycycline and ciprofloxacin. Full genetic sequencing of the strains is ongoing.

PAHO/WHO Response

Relief efforts continue as the government, MINUSTAH (The UN Stabilization Force in Haiti), UN agencies and NGOs continue to provide assistance in a growing number of locations. PAHO coordinates these efforts with other UN agencies, and with health officials in WHO Member States from the Region and beyond.

PAHO continues to mobilize international experts in the areas of epidemiology, risk communication, case management, laboratory, water and sanitation, logistics, and LSS/SUMA (humanitarian supply management system) to Haiti and also to the Dominican Republic.

Additional medical supplies including 50, 000 intravenous fluids (Ringer?s Lactate), and 10 diarrhoeal disease treatment kits sufficient to treat 400-500 severe cholera cases have been purchased with funding from the international corporation, expected to arrive shortly in Haiti.

PAHO and US CDC experts are working together on improved surveillance and reporting of cases, analysis of water samples from rivers and other water sources, and monitoring of antibiotic resistance.

To support the Haitian Ministry of Health's planning efforts and the contingency planning for the Dominican Republic, PAHO is working with the US CDC to develop modelling scenarios to project the dynamics and likely spread of the outbreak . However, even with the best modelling efforts, it will not be possible to accurately predict the course of the epidemic.

WHO does not recommend any restrictions in travel and trade between countries or between different regions of a country experiencing cholera outbreaks. Travellers do not require proof of cholera vaccination, nor is there a need to screen travelers by means of rectal swabbing or faecal analysis. There is no need to establish quarantine measures at the border, a measure that diverts resources and may hamper cooperation between institutions and countries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

WHO cholera Fact sheet

PAHO Responds to Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) website

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_10_28/en/index.html