Haiti cholera cases down in 2014
The cholera epidemic that began in October 2010 on the Caribbean island of Haiti, several months after the massive earthquake, has accounted for greater than 700,000 cases and 8,500 deaths as of March 10, according to a recent update from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
However, the health agency has reported some good news concerning the outbreak–so far in 2014, a decreasing trend in cases and deaths has been recorded on the island.
According to the Epidemiological Update:
Between 1 January and 10 March of 2014, 3,850 cholera cases had been recorded, including 18 deaths (the cumulative case-fatality-rate for 2014 is 0.5%), signifying a weekly average of 385 cases and 2 deaths. This is lower than what was registered in 2013 (weekly average of 1,106 cases and 9 deaths), in 2012 (4,429 cases and 77 deaths weekly average), and in 2011 (29,167 cases and 243 deaths weekly average).
LISTEN: Dr Rosalyn Chan talks about Haiti cholera outbreak
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Cuba has reported 23 additional cholera cases since the last update bringing the tally to 701 cases and three fatalities.
The Dominican Republic has reported 57 suspected cholera cases and no deaths during the first eight weeks of 2014.
Since the Dominican Republic epidemic began in Nov. 2010, there have been a total of 31,532 suspected cholera cases, including 467 deaths.
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[…] put this in perspective, in 2014 during the same period, Haiti reported 3,850 cholera cases had been recorded, including 18 […]
[…] March 22). Outbreak News; Haiti Cholera Cases Down in 2014. The Global Dispatch. Retrieved from: http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/haiti-cholera-cases-down-in-2014/ NPR Staff. (2014, March 21). Why Cholera Persists n Haiti Despite an Abundance of Aid. Health News […]