Living Haiti

Cholera...

It's amazing the things I am learning about infectious diseases while I'm here. You may have heard by now that there is a Cholera outbreak in Haiti. I'm not sure how much is being covered on US news stations, but I thought I'd put up a quick entry.

If you're like me, you knew very little about cholera before today! I was hearing rumors of people being sick in Haiti and dying, but I also heard a rumor about a baby with four heads the other day too...you have to sometimes be selective in what information you believe. However, as the day went on more and more reports came out that people were indeed dying north of here, and it was a large amount of people.

Following the earthquake disease control was a huge issue. Honestly, many of us are suprised it took this long for this type of illness to break out. Here's what I know. There have been 135 reported deaths due to this string of illnesses and it has been confirmed as Cholera. There are approx 2000 more said to be sick with the illness.

Cholera is spread through human waste and contaminated water. In the living conditions in which many exist here, it would not take long for it to sweep through a camp. We're praying that it can be contained.

Right now the deaths that are closest to where I'm living are about 40 miles away. It's clear to see that it wouldn't take much for it to get to Port Au Prince and once here, it wouldn't take long for it to become a big problem.

Cholera can be deadly, as is proven in the past two days here in Haiti. But it doesn't have to be deadly. It can be treated and treated easily with immediate rehydration, replenishing of electrolytes, and antibiotics to shorten the course of the attack. We're trying to spread the word to people we know in the countryside how to handle this potential epidemic. Gertrude was on the phone with friends and family tonight with me in the background telling them if they got sick to drink tons of fluids, keep drinking and get to a doctor immediately, in case they need IVs or Meds.

This epidemic does not have to claim more lives.

Tomorrow we're meeting with the nannies here to take extra precautionsn to keep our little home safe. We have lots of little hands here that will be washed often with cleaned water. We're boiling all water before purifying with UV filtration, and we're sending nannies home with info for their families.

Mostly we're praying that it stops before it spreads...that it does not get worse before it gets better...and that lives will be spared, and the world will rise to the occasion to help provide a more livable existance for many people here who still live in tents on top of months worth of mud and filth.

Don't worry mom...I'm drinking clean water and have meds should I need them! And the phone number of good doctors! If only everyone in this country could say the same thing.