The deaths from cholera in Haiti go to 200

UNICEF believes that the outbreak may be related to a polluted river that is very close to the Artibonite. About 150,000 people live in affected areas along the river, according to the UN agency. This region was heavily damaged by the earthquake, but thousands of people who lost their homes moved there to camps or relatives' homes.

"We have registered more than 208 dead," Gabriel told the BBC Thimot, director general of the Department of Health of Haiti. "The roads were full of villagers who begged to give them water," described David Darg, medical NGO worker, a British chain. Darg visited an area near Saint-Marc (about 100 miles north of Port au Prince), where the outbreak originated as residents of the area. "They have seen people dying in their communities and know not to drink river water, which is usually their main source of water," he says. Cholera, an acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria in human feces, causes diarrhea, fever, vomiting and severe dehydration, which causes a very quick death if left untreated.

The areas most affected by the disease are Douin, Marchand Dessalines and around Saint-Marc, according Thimot, who explained that local hospitals were overwhelmed and many people had been evacuated to centers elsewhere.

"The Saint Nicholas Hospital of Saint-Marc has already received a significant number of patients, and has the ability to respond to a cholera emergency," confirmed Federica Nogarotto, emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Saint-Marc . "The most important thing now is to isolate cholera patients from the rest, in order to address the best way possible to those who are sick and prevent the spread of the outbreak," he said.

"The isolation of suspected cases, health promotion through education and distribution of

soap and water distribution, are key to curbing the spread of cholera, "the organization said.

This is the first time in a century that the Caribbean country suffering from this disease, according to World Health Organization (WHO). "We were afraid that since the earthquake," said Robin Mahfood, president of Food for the Poor (Food for the poor).

A medical source said today that they have identified some cases in poor neighborhoods of Port au Prince, the Haitian capital. Also Ship Island Lake, on the west coast, there have been two dozen cases of diarrhea, but those responsible for the medical center of the town claimed that the disease may be related to intake of contaminated fish.
According to several accounts, an overflow has occurred in hospitals in Artibonite. Also reported a shortage of medicines to treat the hundreds of people affected, but officials insist there are sufficient medical supplies.

Thanks to PrensaLatinaLV