Haiti Cholera Toll Crosses 2,500 Mark

Death toll from Haiti cholera outbreak has passed 2,500, reported by health ministry on Sunday.

The health ministry listed 2,535 deaths since the outbreak in the impoverished Caribbean nation erupted in mid-October. Almost 57,000 of the 114,497 people infected have been treated in hospital. Ministry hopes that the fatality rate might come down.

About Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine and is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

Hopes rose last week that the death rate could be slowing as less than 30 people were shown to have died on two consecutive days.

Those hopes were dashed on Sunday as the earlier tolls were amended and 54 people were shown to have died on December 14, the most recent day recorded.

At the outbreak's peak in November there were daily tolls of 60, 70 and even 80 and above.

NICED Successfully Completes Oral Cholera Vaccine Trial
The National Institute for Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) has successfully completed the trial of an Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) here on Saturday.

The cholera outbreak, Haiti's first in more than a century, spawned deadly anti-UN riots last month as a desperate populace turned its anger on international peacekeepers accused of bringing the disease into the country.

The Nepalese army has reacted angrily and said there is no evidence to support allegations the cholera emanated from septic tanks at their base in the Artibonite river valley, where the majority of cases and deaths have been.

About Water Borne Diseases
Waterborne diseases are communicable diseases caused by diseases causing microorganisms in contaminated water. It is more prevalent during floods and in tsunami affected areas.

The United Nations has said it will name an international panel to investigate the origin of the epidemic.

A team of US and Haitian researchers confirmed last week that the outbreak was likely sparked by a human source from outside the region.

Source-AFP