Elections in the Time of Cholera

Here is a quick update on the cholera situation in Haiti. The best news by far is that very little precipitation has fallen on Haiti since Tomas passed Hispaniola. It was the rain from Tomas that allowed cholera to reach Port-au-Prince. The bad news is that the disease is still spreading and has added to the debacle of the national elections.

And Then There Was One...

There is now just one department in Haiti that has not yet reported a case of cholera, Grand'Anse. Within days of the passage of Tomas the disease spread from the central parts of the country, where the outbreak began, into the largest and most important city in the country, Port-au-Prince. Standing water and damage to infrastructure, both from Tomas and the earthquake, have facilitated the spread of the disease. At this point it is likely only a matter of time before Grand'Anse reports its first infection.

Cholera South of Port-au-Prince, on DR Border

The cholera epidemic in Haiti has begun reaching out along the southern peninsula of Haiti. Reports now confirm cholera as far west as Petit Goâve, Ouest. The disease has also been spotted along the border with the Dominican Republic in the Nord-Est department.  Grand'Anse, Nippes and Sud are the only departments that have not yet reported cholera. These are also the departments that were the furthest from the original outbreak in Artibonite and those that had some of the worst flooding from Tomas.

Latin America Update #2

Tomas is still the big story in Latin America, with significant damage to infrustucture and spread of disease in Haiti, with lesser impacts in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, the ABC Islands, Cuba and Jamaica. A drying trend continuing across much of Central America, where rains appear to have come to an end weeks earlier than they normally do in the northern countries. Average to dry conditions are prevalent across much of South America, with only parts of Brazil showing significant positive precipitation anomalies.

Cholera reaches Port-au-Prince

As a direct result of flooding from the passage of Hurricane Tomas, cholera has now reached Port-au-Prince. These are just preliminary reports, but they are almost certain to be confirmed later on. Cholera is also now spreading rapidly into other parts of the country. Before Tomas passed the island, six of Haiti's ten provinces had reported cholera. Now only the southern peninsula has yet to report an outbreak. The arrival in Port-au-Prince could also accelerate the spread to other parts of the country as Port-au-Prince is the political, transit and commercial hub of Haiti.

Large amounts of standing water, and most people with no access to potable water is what has aggravated this situation. There is also the potential for the outbreak of other water-borne diseases. Malaria is a growing threat as well with an expected rise in the mosquito population. The death toll from the cholera outbreak is now approaching 550.

Tomas Wrap-Up

Tomas now passing Haiti, Cuba

Tomas: Good News and Bad News

More good news regarding Tomas

Tomas shifts its approach on Haiti

Tomas

Tomas