Published Date: 2012-07-15 17:36:34
Subject: PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (30): Cuba
Archive Number: 20120715.1202411

CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2012 (30): CUBA
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Sat 14 Jul 2012
Source: El Nuevo Dia (Associated Press) [transl. by communicator, edited]
http://www.elnuevodia.com/aumentana158losenfermosdecoleraencuba-1300751.html

Cholera has infected 158 people in Cuba, the majority in the eastern province of Granma, and the death toll remains at 3, the authorities informed on Saturday, 14 Jul 2012.

According to the press release dated 13 Jul 2012 "a total of 158 people have been confirmed with having the presence of toxigenic _V. cholerae_, serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. There have been no new deaths, with the death toll being maintained at 3 adults as was informed". On 2 Jul 2012, Cuban authorities informed the death of 3 people between the ages of 66 - 95 years of age, from cholera in Manzanillo, Granma Province, 700 km east of the capital Havana.

"There have been isolated cases in other pars of the country from people who got infected in Manzanillo, who were treated and studied, without dissemination of this outbreak." said the official announcement.

On the island, an increase of acute diarrheal illnesses of all types is very common during the summer caused by high temperatures and intense rainfall but it is not common to find the cholera bacterium.

--
Communicated by:
Dr. Hector I. Ojeda-Martinez
Post-Doctoral Fellow in Infectious Diseases
SUNY - Downstate Medical School
Brooklyn, NY
<acinetohector@me.com>

[The numbers continue to grow but vary dramatically related to the source of the data. In most outbreaks of cholera, the number of confirmed cases is relatively small compared to the total number likely infected. The toxigenic _V. cholerae_, serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor identified is the same as the original Haitian strain although it has not been reported how similar the isolates were genetically. It is stated in the post that cases outside Granma Province are linked to Granma. There remains much variation between the number of cases reported from different sources.

ProMED thanks Dr. Ojeda-Martinez for contributing and translating this posting. - Mod.LL

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1B7y.]

See Also

Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (29): Cuba 20120713.1199636
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (28): Cuba 20120710.1195962
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (26): Cuba (GR) Havana case 20120709.1194769
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (25): Cuba (GR) possible spread 20120707.1193285
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (24): Cuba (GR) 20120703.1188755
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (23): Cuba (GR) RFI 20120702.1187070
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (22): Haiti 20120621.1173083
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (18): Haiti, Dom Rep 20120523.1142303
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (16): Haiti, st switch 20120503.1121767
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (15): Haiti 20120502.1120308
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (14): DR 20120425.1112450
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (13): DR, Haiti 20120423.1107228
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (10): Haiti 20120404.1090431
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (04): Africa, Asia, Americas 20120203.1031859
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012 (02): Haiti (GA) 20120112.1008336
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2012: Haiti, DR 20120111.1007086
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