Haiti’s cholera death toll rises to 136 as outbreak gets ‘worse and worse every day’ – BBC
Cholera is widespread in Haiti, with nearly a third of the population affected
The number of suspected cases has soared in recent days with more than 4,000 more people being tested
“This is the worst it has been since the cholera epidemic began nine years ago”
It is unclear if people in Haiti are becoming increasingly susceptible to the disease and if the outbreak is caused by an increase in sewage contamination
The United States has announced that it will send an aid workers to help with sanitisation efforts in Haiti
A third of the country’s population is still at risk of cholera
But experts have said that the situation is far more serious than initially thought
The cholera strain that is spreading in Haiti has not been seen in the Americas since 1884
Disease experts have said the cholera outbreak in Haiti is a ‘total disaster’
Dr Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, described the situation in Haiti as “a total disaster.”
He said: “This is the worst it has been since the cholera epidemic began nine years ago.
“Most of this is due to contamination of the drinking water with sewage and inadequate sanitation and public health services.
“It is impossible to count the cases – it does not matter how many are coming in – because there are simply no ways to get an accurate count.”
A third of the country’s population is at risk of cholera, with almost a quarter at risk of severe dehydration.
The WHO says that the outbreak is getting worse and worse every day.
Cholera is found throughout the world’s three main islands, although it is most common in the developing world.
It is caused by a bacteria that produces toxins which disrupts the human digestive system.
Infection spreads when people drink infected water or eat contaminated food and drink from the open sewers.
The first cases in Haiti were reported in 2004, when the death toll from cholera was in the hundreds.
The disease has also spread to more than 30 other countries, most recently to Angola in April.
It has been declared an international public health