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Venezuela: Cholera Cases on the Rise

· Written by Patricia Acosta Translated by Silvia Viñas

Categories: Latin America, Venezuela, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Health

During a wedding held in the Dominican Republic, a group of Venezuelans were diagnosed with symptoms of cholera after eating contaminated food; most of those affected were diagnosed with cholera in Venezuela [1], once they arrived in the country, and were quickly hospitalized in public and private hospitals. What were initially 13 cases has increased rapidly within a few days.

Chronology of a disease spreading quickly

On January 26, the Minister of Health, Eugenia Sader, confirmed [2] [es] several cases of cholera in the country. The same day, Adriana (@Cotidiana) [3] reports:

Trece (13) venezolanos llegaron enfermos de cólera de República Dominicana. Todos están hospitalizados

Thirteen (13) Venezuelans arrived sick with cholera from the Dominican Republic. They were all hospitalized.

On January 27, Venezolana de Televisón [4] (VTV) –a state-run television network– on its Twitter account (@vtvcanal8 [5]) informs that,

452 venezolanos habrían asistido a celebración en República Dominicana el 22 de enero, de estos 3% podría presentar síntomas de cólera

452 Venezuelans attended the celebration in the Dominican Republic on January 22, out of these 3% could show symptoms of cholera

On January 28, Joce Taboada (@Jocetaboada [6]) reacts to that day's number of reported cases:

Epa! #quefuerte [7]—-> Van 111 casos de cólera en el país – http://bit.ly/h6xoP7 [8]

Wow! #noway [7]—-> There are now 111 cases of cholera in the country – http://bit.ly/h6xoP7 [8]

The day after, on January 29, the online news site La Patilla (@La_patilla [9]) tweets:

Aumenta a 116 casos de cólera en Venezuela http://bit.ly/gUe9EW [10]

The number of cholera cases raises to 116 in Venezuela http://bit.ly/gUe9EW [10]

Marietta Pareira (@maripereira_542 [11]), on January 30, says:

118 afectados por cólera han recibido tratamiento http://bit.ly/gUe9EW [10]“#aychiamo [12]

118 people affected by cholera have received treatment http://bit.ly/gUe9EW [10]“#ohboy [12]

That same day, from the city of Maracaibo [13], Friorella Di Fiore (@fioredifiore [14]) links to the most recent news:

Ya son 135 los tratados contra el cólera http://bit.ly/hCHfim [15]“

There are now 135 people treated against cholera http://bit.ly/hCHfim [15]

Taking precautions

Maria M. Vizcaino (@mechevizcaino [16]) warns:

Noo se puede comer en la calleeee.. Entiendanlooo!!!!!!!!!! Hay colera!

You can't eat from places in the street… Please understand! There is cholera [out there]!

Juan Díaz (@juandiazyaracuy [17]) suggests:

Si vas a comer carne, pollo, huevo o pescado, cocínalos muy bien. Evita el cólera. Más información: 0-800 VIGILAN (8444526)

If you are going to eat meat, chicken, eggs or fish, cook them well. Avoid cholera. More information: 0-800 VIGILAN (8444526)

Dr. Rigoberto J. Marcano Pasquier (@rimarcan [18]) titles an article with information about the infection in La Patilla [19] [es]: “Cholera, a bacterium that can quickly take your life.”

In the blog Frente Ecológico PSUV [20] [es], Dr. Julio Castro, en expert in infectious diseases and a professor at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), informed that the cholera situation in Venezuela,

“es una situación de preacaución, más que de alerta, por lo que hay que cumplir las medidas respectivas y evitar así una epidemia”.

“is a situation of precaution, more than of alert, so we have to meet the respective measures and that way avoid an epidemic.”

The number of reported cases has been on the rise. Venezuelans expect it to in fact be an “outbreak,” as stated by the government, although the current amount of people infected with cholera –135 out of the 452 present, according to the latest reports [21]– has far exceeded the 3% initially expected.