Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Haiti's Cholera Reaches US

Florida sees first case, but officials say it's not a big threat

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 17, 2010 4:34 PM CST

(Newser) – Cholera has made its way to US shores, but health authorities in Florida say it's no cause for alarm, CNN reports. A woman who returned from a visit to Haiti fell ill with the disease, which has now killed 1,100 people there and spread to the neighboring Dominican Republic. The woman is recovering well, and no threat is seen in the US because the disease needs poor sanitation conditions to spread.

"This is not a major public health concern, but we're on top of it," says a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health. Click here for more.

A man with a rope attached to his foot lies dead in the street near a temporary hospital where cholera patients are being treated in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A child suffering cholera symptoms is checked by a doctor at the Doctors Without Borders temporary hospital in Port-au-Prince. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A woman suffering cholera symptoms is pushed in a wheelbarrow to St. Catherine hospital, run by Doctors Without Borders, in the slum of Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

15%

70%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Cholera Kills 138 in Haiti

Outbreak sickens more than 1K lightning fast

(NEWSER) - A fast-moving outbreak of what officials believe is cholera has killed at least 138 people in central Haiti within 48 hours, and infected more than a thousand others. The outbreak, the first since January's earthquake, has overwhelmed public health facilities, the BBC reports. The infection, spread through contaminated food and water, causes severe diarrhea and kills quickly if left untreated. Authorities are rushing antibiotics and rehydration supplies to the affected area. More»

LA Investigates Mysterious Playboy Mansion Illness

It's not what you're thinking

(NEWSER) - Must've been something in the air, but dozens of people at a Playboy Mansion fundraiser earlier this month contracted a really ... nasty ... respiratory infection, and LA County public health officials are now investigating, reports the LA Times. Officials are surveying all 700 attendees of a conference called Domainfest global after reports of a rash of problems including pneumonia. More»

Expert: UN Brought Cholera to Haiti

Nepalese base blamed for epidemic

(NEWSER) - A French researcher has reached the same conclusion about the Haitian cholera outbreak as rioters did: United Nations peacekeepers are the likely source. The expert—sent by the French government to help Haiti investigate the epidemic that has killed more than 2,000 people—believes the disease probably spread from a base used by Nepalese peacekeepers, according to a report obtained by AP. More»

Amid Tragedy, Haiti Readies for Vote

No clear favorite among 18 candidates

(NEWSER) - Facing recovery from a pair of natural disasters and an outbreak of cholera, work is cut out for Haiti’s next president. Who that will be, however, is anyone’s guess: of 18 candidates, no one campaigner has pulled ahead, the Wall Street Journal reports. With some 80% of pledged relief funds still tied up and 1.5 million still living in tent cities, anger is running high ahead of Sunday's vote. More»

Cholera Exploding in Haiti

200K cases of fatal disease are expected by year's end

(NEWSER) - In Haiti, it's going from bad to worse to worse, with the news that the UN has doubled the number of cholera cases it expects to see there. A UN official says 425,000 cases are expected to occur in the first six months following the fatal disease's October appearance—more than twice the original estimate of 200,000 cases. But that earlier figure is popping up once again: Of the 425,000 cases, some 200,000 are expected before the end of 2010, with a peak before Christmas. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Haiti's Cholera Reaches US

Florida sees first case, but officials say it's not a big threat

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Florida • public health • Haiti • outbreak • cholera

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Cholera Kills 138 in Haiti

Outbreak sickens more than 1K lightning fast

LA Investigates Mysterious Playboy Mansion Illness

It's not what you're thinking

Expert: UN Brought Cholera to Haiti

Nepalese base blamed for epidemic

Amid Tragedy, Haiti Readies for Vote

No clear favorite among 18 candidates

Cholera Exploding in Haiti

200K cases of fatal disease are expected by year's end

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?