VENEZUELAN CHOLERA CASES TRIGGER CONTROL MEASURES IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
(Medical News Today) - By Christian Nordqvist
Panama has upped sanitation and hygiene measures at all its ports and airports and Colombia has enhanced its border vigilance after 35 cholera cases were reported and confirmed in Venezuela. Franklin Vergara, Panama's Health Minister added that since Haiti's cholera outbreak in October 2010, the country has been "careful and vigilant".
Local media in Venezuela, Colombia and Panama report that between 37 and 111 cases of cholera have been confirmed so far in Venezuela, as well as 12 in the Dominican Republic, 1 in the USA, 2 in Madrid (Spain), and 1 in Mexico. (See below, 6 more cases in Massachusetts)Vergars stressed that although there is no cause for alarm..:
"..sanitation measures must be adopted to the full (sí hay que extremar las medidas sanitarias)."
Although no cases have yet been reported, Vergara explained that Panama, being a popular hub for passengers in transit, is an ideal location for infection to spread into if authorities lower their guard.
Colombian Health and Wellness Deputy Minister, Beatriz Londoño, said that although there is no cholera outbreak in Columbia, authorities' vigilance has been heightened along the country's borders with neighboring Venezuela since new cases have been reported there.
Londoño has called on all competent authorities in her country to..:
"..intensify all vigilance and control measures, inform communities about effective preventive measures, and to report any suspect cases immediately (intensifiquen todas las acciones de vigilancia y control, que informen adecuadamente a la comunidad sobre las medidas preventivas y que de manera inmediata notifiquen cualquier caso sospechoso)".
Columbia has spend over US$1.6 million to prevent cholera from entering since October 2010.
Six residents in Massachusetts have tested positive for cholera after returning from a wedding in the Dominican Republic, the Massachusetts Health Department announced today.
Spokesperson, Julian Hurley said today that all six have been released from hospital and that the authorities do not believe the infection will spread into the community.
According to Dominican Republic health officials, the patients became infected after eating tainted lobsters during the wedding reception. Other wedding guests were treated for similar symptoms in Spain, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
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