WHO: 500,000 Haiti Cholera Cases Expected by Year End

In Haiti, the number of cholera cases is expected to reach 500,000 by the end of the year, says World Health Organization.

"If current trends continue, we can expect around 75,000 more cases by the end of the year bringing the total to approximately 500,000 cases since the beginning of the epidemic," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said.

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

In October, the WHO had already recorded 470,000 cases.

The cholera epidemic broke out in 2010 when the disease has killed 6,600 people.

The number of new cholera cases in Haiti halved in August, but the rainy season is once again worsening the situation, the WHO warned.

Haiti: Cholera Vaccine Testing
A cholera vaccine will be tested in Haiti, report officials.

"We are going towards an endemic situation," noted Claire-Lise Chaignat, who heads the WHO's anti-cholera group.

"We should consider cholera vaccine introduction to Haiti for the most vulnerable. This discussion is ongoing," added Chaignat.

Emergency Aid Services in Haiti Get a Fillip From Mobile Phone Data
Population movements in the wake of disasters make it difficult to deliver the right amount of humanitarian aid to the right places.

"But you can imagine that it is not easy to identify where to start, with the limited amount of vaccines available, because the vaccines are still produced in a very limited amount and quantity," she said, adding that she hoped this would change with the production of new vaccines in India.

Source-AFP

Haiti Cholera Outbreak Linked to S.Asian Strain
The Haiti cholera outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 4,850 people bears similarity to a South Asian strain of the disease, says US panel.