Haitian Cholera Epidemic Slows, Spreads to Other Nations

The Haitian cholera epidemic appears to be subsiding, just as a United Nations' fact finding mission is due to arrive in Port-au-Prince. The U.N. group is charged with investigating the origins of the outbreak and reporting to the Haitian government and the United Nations sometime in March 2011. Genetic testing of cholera from Haiti suggested a close relationship to cholera outbreaks in South Asia. The U.N. has troops from Nepal stationed in the region where the Haitian cholera epidemic originated and they have been accused of being the source of the contagion.

According to the Haitian Government's Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP) as of Feb. 2 there had been 220,784 cases of cholera since the outbreak began in October 2010, and 4,334 related deaths. The number of new cases has fallen from a high of 4,000 per day in mid December to less than 1,000 per day. The number of deaths per day has fallen, as well, from over 120 per day to fewer than 10.

The United States has provided over $44 million in aid thus far for the cholera epidemic. One year after the Great Haitian Earthquake, the U.S. has provided $1.17 billion in aid for quake assistance and relief.

Illnesses from Haitian cholera epidemic have been reported in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and the United States as well as scattered cases in other Latin American nations. In the United States, New York City. Massachusetts and Florida have reported cholera cases in patients who traveled either to the Dominican Republic or Haiti. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Many of the cases in other countries are tied to a very large wedding held in the Dominican Republic. Some of the guests have been diagnosed with cholera, including guests from the United States and Venezuela.

All U.S. cases are reported to have been imported. None of the illnesses is believed to have been caught in the U.S. The United States averaged eight cases of cholera per year in the period 2005 to 2009.

Cholera is spread by the ingestion of feces from another infected person. Poor water purification and improper handling of sewage, as well as improper handling of wastes and dirty clothing from a patient are often reasons for the spread of the illness.

The illness may have no symptoms at all, but in those seriously ill, the uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting can result in dehydration and death in a matter of hours. Treatment is rehydration with fluids and salts and possibly antibiotics.