Haiti Cholera Outbreak Continues but Origin Sourced

Cholera is still dominating the lives of those living in Haiti.  Since the original post on the 22nd October 2010, some 5,000 people have died and 300,000 have become ill.  A recent report has linked the original outbreak to a poorly constructed wastewater treatment system that was built to serve UN troops from Nepal that were based at a rural camp close to the Meye River.  The basic septic tanks leaked into this river which is a tributary of the country’s main river, the Artibonite, which runs through the central region of Haiti, and the major source of water for many tens of thousands of rural Haitians.  However, the lack of suitable  water and sanitation, which has still not been restored since the earthquake, is also a major factor for the continuation of this epidemic.

Transfer of Cholera via Ballast Water?

It is very difficult to predict when Cholera outbreaks may occur, with low levels of infection common in many countries with cases being confused with other diarrhoeal diseases.  It is an opportunistic pathogen taking advantage of poor sanitation which so often occurs as a result of disasters and conflict. What is clear is that Cholera is both widespread and increasing in frequency with the WHO estimating between 3 to 5 million cases last year. There are two strains of Vibrio cholerae, 01 which has been identified as the cause of the current epidemic in Haiti, and the South-East Asian strain 0139. It is thought that up to 75% of people infected with the bacterium may not develop symptoms but will excrete the bacterium with their faeces for up to 14 days. So the increase in air travel is often cited as the cause of smaller outbreaks.  There is also increasing concern that the bacterium can be transported via water and algae held in ballast tanks in ships which when discharged can contaminate surface waters and shellfish.  

New Cholera Outbreak Reported

Cholera strikes again, this time in Haiti. Of all the waterborne diseases cholera is probably the most dangerous and can prove fatal if medical attention is not obtained within a very short time of the symptoms emerging.  A new review by João P. S. Cabral entitled Water Microbiology: Bacterial Pathogens and Water has just been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2010, 7, 3657-3703) and looks at the disease in detail.  The last reported outbreak of the disease in Haiti was in 1960.