250 Die in Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

A man holds a boy as they wait for medical attention at San Nicolas hospital in Saint Marc, Haiti, 22 October 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Cholera outbreak in Haiti has caused the death of more than 250 people, with more than 3,000 other infected, BBC reports.

"We must gear up for a serious epidemic, even though we hope it won't happen," said Nigel Fisher, UN Deputy Special Representative in Haiti, as cited by the BBC.

Officials have stated that the disease was a serious threat to the 1,3 million survivors of the devastating earthquake in January that killed up to 300,000 people.

Since most of the survivors now live in tented camps surrounding the capital Port-au-Prince, the poor sanitary conditions make them vulnerable to cholera, which is caused by bacteria transmitted through contaminated water or food.

Cholera causes diarrhea and vomiting, which lead to severe dehydration and could kill quickly if left untreated through rehydration and antibiotics.

The director general of Haiti's health department, Gabriel Thimote, has expressed positive opinion that the outbreak could be contained.

"The tendency is that it is stabilizing, without being able to say that we have reached a peak. It's nto difficult to prevent the spread to Port-au-Prince," he said.

This is the first time in a century that cholera has struck the Haitian nation. According to the UN, the country has enough antibiotics to treat 100,000 cases of cholera and intravenous fluids to treat 30,000.

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