Public Health officials have identified some 16 persons suffering from cholera in the area around Barahona. The group is composed of 14 Haitian nationals and two Dominicans. As a result, the health officials had called on the public to refrain from using the water from the Bahoruco and Palmita rivers due to contamination.
For over a week, there had been reports of a serious outbreak of diarrhea in the area and staff at the Primary Care facilities at Bahoruco and La Cienega, and the Jaime Mota Public Hospital in Barahona, sent samples to the National Laboratory Dr Defillo in Santo Domingo to determine if these people were infected with cholera. Sixteen samples tested positive for the dreaded cholera virus.
However, in addition to the cholera, the samples also showed other co-morbidities such as diabetes, hepatitis C, pneumonia, chronic kidney problems and HIV+.
This has led to several of the patients remaining in the hospitals for an extended period. Cholera is an extremely dangerous illness but can be avoided through good hygiene protocols such as frequent washing of the hands, boiling all drinking and cooking water, and general cleanliness.
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Diario Libre
20 November 2023