The country’s health ministry said in a statement on social media on Sunday that it had registered one confirmed and one suspected cholera case.
Haiti24 reported later in the day citing medical authorities that there are currently at least 20 suspected cholera cases under investigation in Haiti, while eight people have died from the bacterial infection.
Cholera hotbeds are believed to be located in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The exact source of cholera is under investigation.
Cholera is an acute bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include severe diarrhea. A person can potentially die from the illness within hours if left untreated, but most people recover after exhibiting only mild symptoms, with the help of oral rehydration solutions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year there are between 1.3 and 4 million cases of cholera worldwide, and between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths from the infection.
At the end of September, Syria reported 29 confirmed deaths from cholera and a total of 339 cases. In July, Iraq confirmed over 160 cholera cases and two deaths from the bacterial infection.