Cholera Dangerous infectious disease in Cuba

USA warns of possible cholera outbreak in Cuba

08/24/2013

In eastern Cuba, according to American authorities, there are indications of a cholera outbreak. Similarly, there seem to be cases in Havana and tourists have been infected.

Cholera was considered extinct in Cuba
In a statement released Wednesday, the US diplomatic mission in Cuba warned of a possible cholera outbreak on the Caribbean island. There are indications of an outbreak in eastern Cuba and there are also reports of individual cases in the capital Havana. Since 1882, cholera in Cuba was considered extinct. However, the Cuban authorities admitted in the summer of 2012 that there were more than 400 cases on the island. And in early 2013, rumors of 51 new cases in the capital Havana were officially confirmed.

Danger due to contaminated water
Contaminated water is the greatest danger of infection. The „usual sources“ such as improperly cooked fish and raw seafood pose a risk, according to the warning. Cholera bacteria are spread, among other things, via food or drinking water contaminated with human fecal matter. According to information from the Pan-American health organization OPS, foreign tourists have been infected with cholera. One Italian, two Venezuelans and two Chileans are among those affected.

Cholera can be deadly
Every year, between three and five million people worldwide contract cholera. The disease is one of the serious infectious diseases that, if left untreated, can lead to the death of the person affected. Infected people get very strong diarrhea and the body loses up to 25 liters of fluid a day. In 99 percent of cases, the disease is curable when the extreme water and salt loss is treated. Travelers can prevent by drinking only boiled or bottled water. Fruit should be peeled and food thoroughly cooked. Frequent hand washing also reduces the risk of infection.

Do not panic

The cases would continue to be closely monitored and investigated by the Cuban authorities, according to the OPS. So far, however, the provincial authorities have renounced public information on the cases, in order not to trigger a picnic that could harm tourism as an important industry of the state. Cholera is also raging in other Caribbean states. Haiti, for example, has been struggling since the devastating 2010 earthquake with an epidemic that has cost more than 7,500 lives. The spread was further favored by Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the Caribbean islands in the fall of 2012. Diseases were also known from the Dominican Republic. (Ad)

Picture credits: Jochen Necker