Public Health scrambles as Haiti’s cholera cases jump

Santo Domingo.- The Public Health Ministry onThursday said preventive measures have been taken to deal with increasing casesof cholera in Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

Population Health director Dr. Jose ManuelPuello said international prevention protocol will be applied to reduce thepossibility of outbreaks of cholera and other epidemic diseases affecting thecountry.

To purify water drinking and domesticconsumption Puello recommends boiling or chlorinating when used to wash fruits andvegetables, among other measures.

Public Health also recommends to eliminatethe breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which causes dengue,Chikungunya and Zika. "People should avoid walking barefoot and bathing inpuddles of water because the soil may be contaminated with rat urine, and thatcauses leptospirosis."

Parents are asked to take their children to getvaccinated and when faced with the symptoms of a disease, go to the nearesthealth center.

The official said the measures are coordinatedwith various institutions to protect the citizens.