Caribbean
Cholera Spreads to Nearly All D.R. Provinces
- Monday, May 23, 2011 5:30 PM
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Health officials in the Dominican Republic are reporting hundreds of new cases of cholera as the outbreak spreads through most of the country.
Deputy Health Minister Jose Rodriguez says there have been 1,143 cases of cholera and 14 deaths since the outbreak began in November. The number of new cases reported Monday is up about 50 percent since the middle of May.
The Dominican physicians union says cases have been confirmed in 28 of the country's 32 provinces. The situation may worsen with the onset of the hurricane season in June.
Cholera was detected in the Dominican Republic after an outbreak in neighboring Haiti in October. There have been 266,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths in Haiti.
Related 05.16.2011: Dominican Government Declares Cholera State of Alert
Related 05.05.2011: Will Martelly Respond to the 'News' that MINUSTAH is Responsible for the Cholera?
Related 05.05.2011: UN Responsible for 5000 Deaths, 300000 Illnesses, Still Denies Blame
Related 04.30.2011: Haitian and Dominican Health Ministers Unite to Fight Cholera
Related 04.15.2011: Study: UN Projections of Cholera Inaccurate
Source: Associated Press
