Cholera death toll continues to climb

Health workers in Haiti say the number of people confirmed dead from cholera in the country is almost 200 with more than 2,300…

Health workers in Haiti say the number of people confirmed dead from cholera in the country is almost 200 with more than 2,300 sick.

The Ministry of Health confirmed 194 deaths and 2,364 cases of cholera, said Imogen Wall, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Ms Wall said the sick patients and the contagious remains of the dead are insufficiently quarantined.

Cholera was not present in Haiti before the earthquake, but experts have warned that conditions are ripe for disease to strike in areas with limited access to clean water.

The number of cases will continue to grow because Haitians do not have any built-up immunity to cholera, according to Jon Andrus, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organisation's Regional Office for the Americas.

Agencies

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter