Haiti cholera toll rises to 500

Buenos Aires, Nov 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) At least 500 people have died of cholera in Haiti, the health ministry said.

Over 7,300 people are believed to have been infected with Vibrio Cholerae, which is thought to originate in South Asia and was presumably brought in by peacekeepers from Nepal.

The disease was detected in various part of the country, with northern provinces being the hardest hit.

Haiti, which is still struggling to cope in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, was further aggravated as drinking water supply systems were badly hit by tropical storm Tomas early November.

Almost 1.3 million people have been living in tent camps since the deadly quake killed 250,000 people in January.

The disaster levelled most parts of Port-au-Prince, and caused significant destruction in other parts of the impoverished country.

Cholera is a bacterial infection that spreads through contaminated water, causing severe diarrhea and vomiting that can lead to the dehydration and death within hours.

–IANS/RIA Novosti