The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday issued a travel warning for Haiti and other Caribbean nations, where a cholera outbreak and other diseases have become a matter of concern.
In recent days, more than 1,500 cases of cholera have been reported in Haiti, with high incidences reported in areas where conditions have remained unsanitary following a devastating earthquake that hit the nation earlier this year.
The reports say that as many as 250 people have died of the disease, with at least 135 deaths concentrated in the northern part of Haiti.
Hundreds of thousands of people are still living in impoverished tent cities, particularly around Port-au-Prince, the capital, where sanitation remains poor and relief groups say the illness can spread rapidly.
The CDC said cholera is transmitted through the fecal oral route and can commonly be passed into food contaminated with the virus when it is prepared in unclean places.
Symptoms range from mild to severe, and include vomiting, diarrhea and leg cramps. If cholera goes untreated, the death rate can be as high as 50 percent, the health authority said.
In related news, leptospirosis, an infectious disease that is commonly transmitted through the urine of infected animals, such as rats, has also been affecting Central and South American countries.
Dozens of people affected with the deadly disease have been reported in Nicaragua and Honduras, the CDC said.
The disease is especially rampant in the rainy season, since the amount of rainfall and the number of cases are strongly correlated.
The CDC advised travelers to avoid visiting such countries where the cholera epidemic and other diseases have become widespread.
If visitors must travel to the Caribbean, the CDC is advising travelers to check alerts and obtain updated information on the cholera situation ahead of the trip, as well as consulting a doctor for the necessary vaccines and medical treatment.
Taking extra care with personal hygiene and ensuring all food is prepared in sanitary conditions are also key to prevention, the CDC said.
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