ARTICLE - CHOLERA OUTLOOK

POOR SANITATION COULD WORSEN HAITI CHOLERA OUTBREAK, CDC SAYS
(CNN)

. U.S. report says the cholera outbreak's course is "difficult to predict"

. Haiti hasn't seen a cholera outbreak in more than a century

. The epidemic has killed more than 1,100 in the earthquake-ravaged nation

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The cholera epidemic already blamed for more than 1,100 deaths in Haiti could worsen because of poor sanitation in the earthquake-ravaged country, U.S. medical researchers reported Thursday.

A lack of treated drinking water, coupled with poor hand hygiene and food-preparation practices, make the 1.3 million people still living in camps particularly vulnerable, according to a new study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The course of the cholera outbreak in Haiti is difficult to predict," the report states. "The Haitian population has no pre-existing immunity to cholera, and environmental conditions in Haiti are favorable for its continued spread."

Jordan Tappero, a CDC epidemiologist in Haiti, said Haitian authorities and aid agencies are working to limit the epidemic by emphasizing clean water and sanitation. But he added, "We expect we will be working very hard for many months to come."

Haiti has not reported a cholera outbreak in more than a century. The current epidemic was first reported in October and has now spread to eight of the Caribbean nation's 10 provinces, the CDC found.