Still reeling from the devastation of the January 2010 earthquake, the Haitians have yet another enemy to combat--the rampage of cholera which claimed over 300 lives (and counting) and sickened thousands who await treatment in rural Haiti. Cholera, a highly contagious disease, left untreated, can cause death within hours. Inside sources claimed that medical supplies are not reaching the people as needed. The efforts of health authorities and workers to keep the disease out of Port du Prince, Haiti's capital are dismal:
- Fetid conditions in the overcrowded camps of over 1 million earthquake survivors is already a breeding ground.
- Abject poverty and poor water sources can cause the spread of the disease quickly
Neighboring country Dominican Republic had closed their borders on news of the outbreak and has slowly opened them under heavy surveillance.
Teaching the people to properly wash their hands, avoid using standing water to bathe and wash fruits and vegetables and provide soap and purification tablets, health authorities hope these measures will quell any furtherance of this contagion.
Barbara Redd
Montage consists of photos of Haitians sickened by the cholera epidemic, the bacteria and the areas it affects.
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