Haiti Battles Cholera Epidemic, At Least 150 Dead

Haiti's government and international aid groups are working to contain a cholera epidemic that has killed at least 150 people and sickened more than 1,500 others.
The outbreak is Haiti's worst medical emergency since the devastating January 12 earthquake.

The outbreak has hit the mostly rural, central Artibonite region of the country.

The influx of patients has overwhelmed medical centers. Reporters visiting the main hospital in the town of St. Marc report scores of patients lining the floors and courtyard.

The affected region was not significantly damaged by the January earthquake, but many quake survivors moved into the area, which is north of the earthquake-ravaged capital, Port-au-Prince.

Officials fear the epidemic could eventually spread to Port-au-Prince, where hundreds of thousands of quake survivors are still living in camps.

International health experts say this is the first cholera outbreak to hit Haiti in decades.

Cholera is a bacterial infection that is typically spread by contaminated water or food. Symptoms include fever, severe diarrhea, and vomiting. The disease is treatable, but without treatment, it can kill within hours.