Cholera in Disaster Situations
Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, group O-1 or O-139. Natural and man-made disasters which produce overcrowding, a scarcity of safe drinking water, improper elimination of human waste, and the contamination of food during or after its preparation are risk factors for the spread of the disease. Read more... | Japanese version now available!
 Management of the dead is one of the most difficult aspects of disaster response. It has profound and long-lasting consequences for survivors and communities. Globally, disasters claim thousands of lives each year. However, care of the deceased is often overlooked in disaster planning. This Field Manual for First Responders, available in English, French, Spanish and Japanese, presents simple recommendations for non-specialists to manage the recovery, basic identification, storage and disposal of dead bodies following disasters. It also makes suggestions about providing support to family members and communicating with the public and the media.
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There are currently 30 CTCs, 169 CTUs, and 766 ORPs functioning in-country. The end of the rainy season has contributed to a considerable drop in cholera cases. Currently, an average of 300 cases per day has been observed all over the country, in comparison to 500 cases per day in November. The department currently reporting the highest mortality rates is West. The number of cholera cases is stable or decreasing in the departments of North, North-East, Artibonite, Center, West, South-East, South and Grand Anse, whereas cases in the North-West, are increasing and in Nippes department, the situation can be described as unstable with small peaks.
