# 5272
I’ve not done a lot on the Cholera outbreak in Haiti over the past few weeks, simply because Crofsblog has been extraordinarily dedicated to the story since it began. And for daily coverage of Haiti, that’s the site to visit.
But from time to time - when I’ve thought I could add some value - I’ve posted on the outbreak, including:
MMWR: Haiti Cholera Update
Haiti: The Progression Of An Epidemic
Haiti: Updated Cholera Outbreak Map
Sixty days ago I posted some graphics showing the progression of the Cholera Epidemic through the end of November. At the time, the mortality rate was listed at 2.2%.
These are just reported numbers, of course. The real numbers are likely much higher. Also, a great many more people are assumed to be asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria.
Today OCHA has posted a freshly updated map, and chart of the epidemic’s progress, hosted by Reliefweb. You can download the map in its entirety at the link below, but I’ve excerpted a couple of interesting segments to highlight.
Haiti: Cholera Cumulative Cases since October 2010 (as of 24 Jan 2011)
- Date: 27 Jan 2011
- Type: Natural Disaster
- Keyword(s): Epidemic; Health; Natural Disaster; Affected Population
- Format:
In addition to depicting the spread of the epidemic in a series of maps, this release also charts the number of cases and fatalities.
While 4000+ deaths is obviously a tragedy, the CFR (case fatality ratio) has dropped considerably over what was first reported back in October (roughly 8%).
A goodly portion of this drop can no doubt be attributed to better surveillance and the counting of less severe cases, which may not have been included in the earliest numbers.
Some of it, however, is undoubtedly due to the ramped up response by numerous relief agencies to the crisis.
Even assuming the vagaries of surveillance and reporting out of Haiti, and the likely undercounting of fatalities (and total cases), these numbers indicate that progress is being made.
That earthquake ravaged Port-au-Prince is running under a 1% mortality rate is actually quite remarkable.
And the (roughly) 2% CFR outside of the capital is noteworthy as well, given the pre-existing disease burdens and poor health care infrastructure that exists in rural Haiti.
While the cholera situation in Haiti can hardly be described as good, thankfully, it does appear that some progress is being made.
For some background on other diseases plaguing Haiti, you may be interested an a blog I wrote last November:
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