Dominican Republic/Haiti: Cholera Outbreak - Aug 2018

In July 2018, the Ministry of Public Health and Epidemiology reported that the Los Pinos Health Center (La Descubierta, municipality) saw an increase in the number of patients with acute diarrhoeal diseases from surrounding communities, which were suspected to be cases of cholera. In August 2018, the Ministry of Health reported that Vibrio cholerae had been identified in samples collected from residents of La Descubierta municipality in the National Public Health Laboratory. The same report also stated that three confirmed cases of cholera in the municipality had been identified. Since the outbreak began in Epidemiological Week (EW) 28 and up to EW 34, 4 confirmed cases of cholera and 91 suspected cases have been identified in the municipality..., in residents of Los Pinos del Edén, Ángel Feliz, the urban area of La Descubierta and Los Bolos. (IFRC, 21 Sep 2018)

The Haitian and Dominican health authorities completed a joint mission in response to the cholera outbreak in the Cornillon/Independencia border zone. They have resolved to develop planned interventions to cope with the epidemic, and to strengthen institutions and health networks along the border. The Haitian Ministry of Public Health reported 3 062 suspected cases of cholera between 1 January and 1 September in Haiti, of which 42% tested positive. (ECHO, 28 Sep 2018)

In Haiti between epidemiological week (EW) 1 and EW 36 of 2018, 3,111 suspected cases were reported (Figure 1), including 37 deaths. The incidence rate for 2018 (until EW 36) is 25.5 cases per 100,000 population, which is the lowest recorded incidence since the beginning of the outbreak. Following the increase in cases that were reported in EW 19, a decrease has been observed, with a weekly average of 35 suspected cases reported over the last 8 weeks (EW 29 to EW 36). The cumulative case-fatality rate (CFR) has remained around 1% since 2011.

In the Dominican Republic, between EW 1 and EW 38 of 2018, 113 suspected cases of cholera were reported, representing an incidence rate of 1.52 cases per 100,000 population; this incidence rate is greater than the incidence rate reported for the same period in 2017 (1.43 cases per 100,000 population). Of the cases reported this year, 77% (n= 87) correspond to an outbreak that affected the province of Independencia between July and August 2018. In 2018, one death has been reported related to the outbreak in the province of Independencia. (PAHO, 11 Oct 2018)