Haitian authorities are blaming cholera outbreak for the deaths of over 100 people in the country, but international medical experts say that it is too early to reach such a conclusion.
"For sure it is that,'' stated a Health Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as no official announcement has been made by the government yet.
Around 1,000 people have been hospitalized in Artibonite within the last few days, as the main hospital in the region ran out of space.
Diplomats working at a foreign embassy were quite sure that cholera is responsible for recent deaths. According to a report, foreign medical specialists working alongside the government of Haiti to identify the disease were ``99 percent sure it is cholera'' that has caused severe vomiting and diarrhea in St. Marc, Marchand Dessalines, Drouin and Mirebalais.
Meanwhile, the UN said that it is investigating the cause of the outbreak. ``We have not received any confirmation on what is causing an increase of diarrhea in the lower Artibonite region,'' said Jessica Duplessi, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The US Embassy in Haiti warned its citizens that they should avoid raw or undercooked seafood, drink only bottled water and ``seek medical assistance if you develop acute, water diarrhea".
Cholera is a bacterial infection of the intestinal system. Its symptoms include severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. If cholera is untreated, death can occur within 4-12 hours. The disease spreads through the consumption of infected water and food, and is mostly treated with antibiotics and fluids.
This is the first outbreak of cholera in Haiti after January's devastating earthquake that claimed over 300,000 lives.
