au-Prince, Haiti, Dhu Al-Qa'dah 26, 1431 H/ Nov. 3, 2010, SPA -- The number of deaths from cholera in Haiti increased to 440, up by 105 from late last week, Radio Metropole reported Wednesday, citing the Haitian health ministry. An estimated 6,000 others are believed to be infected with the intestinal disease, according to dpa. According to Haitian health officials and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, the strain of cholera was "identical" to cholera strains found in South Asia. The outbreak was first confirmed on October 21. "Although these results indicate that the strain is non-Haitian, cholera strains may move between different areas due to global travel and trade," Haiti's Health Minister Dr Alex Larsen said this week. The CDC noted that while global travel and trade provide an opportunity for the spread of infectious disease, normally, their spread can be controlled with stringent sanitation measures. "When water and sewage treatment is inadequate, as in post- earthquake Haiti, cholera can spread rapidly," the CDC warned.
