CHOLERA EPIDEMIC: LATEST ASSESSMENT, 1.3 PEOPLE INFECTED AND CONFIRMED EACH MINUTE
(HaitiLibre.com)
Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The short incubation period of 2 hours to 7 days, reinforces the dynamics of potentially explosive epidemics. This is the great "dirty hands" disease; the neglect of the sanitation and food chain. Bowel movements that lead to the human culturing of land, water sources, the sea and its products (the vibrio can survive over 15 days in salt water).
About 75% of those who are infected by V. cholerae show no symptoms; although the bacterium is present in their faeces for 7-14 days after infection and are eliminated into the environment, where they can potentially infect other people.
For those who develop symptoms, they remain mild to moderate in 80% of cases, while in approximately 20% of cases, acute watery diarrhea, accompanied by severe dehydration develops. Without treatment, it can cause death.
Contrary to what has been affirmed by certain media, Haiti already had cases of cholera in the 1960's. However, Haiti has not experienced an outbreak of cholera, for 100 years, which is different, and is important in clarifying the facts.
Carleen Dei, director of the Haiti mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told the station WAMU it was difficult to diagnose the disease at the beginning of the epidemic. "When the source of infection broke out, people did not know what it was. There has not been a case of cholera in Haiti in the last 50 or 60 years. So it was somewhat difficult to diagnose. Many people have died because they did not know that they were very sick or what they were suffering from. Cholera can kill within two hours".
Stefano Zanini, head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti reports in an interview; "Cholera is a disease almost unknown in this country where the last cases were reported 60 years ago. The fact that the disease was unknown meant that the local medical staff were not prepared to deal with it, just like the population who did not know the danger; so much so that cholera was considered as a myth".
Assessment at the national level:
The latest assessment (cumulative) dated Saturday, November 20, 2010 and published today, Tuesday by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) reported 25,248 hospitalizations since the beginning of the epidemic; 1,871 additional cases than the last official assessment of November 19 (+8%) and 1,415 deaths; 71 new deaths (+5.28%).
Port au Prince and metropolitan area:
In Port-au-Prince and metropolitan area, (Port-au-Prince: Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, Tabarre and Croix des Bouquets) has reported 2,140 hospitalizations since the first reported case in this area; 522 cases more than the last assessment (Nov.19) (+32.26%) and 95 deaths; 18 new deaths (+23,37%).
Many humanitarians believe that the official figures are underestimated, information that our position, confirms. The victims in isolated communities are little or not reported. Mortality rates in the Northeast (18.8% +4.8%), South (9.9% +0.4%) and Southeast (13.3% -4.9%) remain the highest in the country (mortality rate including deaths in hospital and the community).
Between November 19 and 20 (24 hours) 1.3 Persons per minute have been infected and confirmed as suffering from cholera at the national level.
Note (1): Comparisons are made between the assessments of November 19 and 20, 2010 (24 hours).
Official figures incorporate data submitted by departments to the Department of Epidemiology and now include the cases reported by NGOs and the Cuban medical mission.
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