New York City Has (Three Cases Of) Cholera

Nearly a year after a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti and, among other things, sent a wave of cholera throughout the country, three New Yorkers have been diagnosed with the disease. City health officials say the three adults contracted the disease while in the Dominican Republic for a wedding, and though all of them have already recovered, health officials will test them to see if the strain they caught was the same strain that has ravaged Haiti.

The CDC has noted that the likelihood of the disease spreading in the city is low. Erin Hughes of the city's health department told City Room, “People get cholera by drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with cholera." The city averages one case of cholera a year, but no cases have emerged since the outbreak in Haiti. For anyone traveling to areas where cholera may be a problem, CDC spokeswoman Candice Hoffman recommends that you eat "only food that has been cooked and served hot, paying vigorous attention to hand washing with soap and avoiding swimming or bathing in rivers." Also, watch out for ice, which can be made from water that hasn't been boiled yet. Even if it wasn't cholera, that night in India sucked.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jaya Saxena in News on February 6, 2011 10:40 AM

Comments [rss]

KatzOnEarth

One correction: The earthquake didn't cause or even have much of a direct effect on the cholera epidemic in Haiti. It broke out in a central agricultural region outside of the quake zone and has been most virulent outside the quake zone since. Scientists believe it was imported, likely late in 2010.

Madly Hatting

Oregon Trail? Only reason I even went to this article.

Jose Gerardi

A buddy of mine is one of those three with cholera. He got a call from the CDC and they asked him how many times he had to go to the stool in one day. His answer was more than fifty. I guess it was poor planning on the wedding organizers, I mean, a table with over two hundred lobsters in a third world country neighboring Haiti is not a very smart idea.

Love In The Time Of Cholera is a great book, and would definitely make a great wedding gift for that couple.

asg749d

How do you know it was the lobsters and not the water?
I can tell you from experience that the food down there is better kept than the water. Many of those hotels have their own water processing plants to serve the needs of the guests and staff. With no regulation in place to maintain those plants I am more inclined to blame it on the water.

Peter Rosa

The difference between amoebic dysentery and cholera: with amoebic dysentery you're running to the toilet every ten minutes, while with cholera you stay on the toilet.