A Cholera outbreak in Haiti has killed more than 140 people and officials in the impoverished country say the disease could spread. So far at least 1,600 other people have been infected.
Haitian officials confirmed Friday many of the sick have converged on St. Nicholas hospital in the seaside city of St. Marc, where hundreds of dehydrated patients are waiting for treatment. Lines of people tried to force their way through the hospital gates Friday, but police blocked them from entering.
The disease is highly contagious and officials fear that it could spread rapidly among tens of thousands who still have no proper facilities and health services following the devastating earthquake in January.
Cholera is a waterborne bacterial infection spread through contaminated water. It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration and death within hours. Treatment involves administering a salt-and-sugar-based rehydration serum.
Foreign aid workers are concerned about the safety of more than one million earthquake refugees who are homeless with poor sanitation facilities.
Haitian officials confirmed Friday many of the sick have converged on St. Nicholas hospital in the seaside city of St. Marc, where hundreds of dehydrated patients are waiting for treatment. Lines of people tried to force their way through the hospital gates Friday, but police blocked them from entering.
The disease is highly contagious and officials fear that it could spread rapidly among tens of thousands who still have no proper facilities and health services following the devastating earthquake in January.
Cholera is a waterborne bacterial infection spread through contaminated water. It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to dehydration and death within hours. Treatment involves administering a salt-and-sugar-based rehydration serum.
Foreign aid workers are concerned about the safety of more than one million earthquake refugees who are homeless with poor sanitation facilities.
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