Cholera Cuba: US Warns Tourists In Cuba To Be Alert After Recent Cholera Cases

The United States issued a health and security warning to US citizens travelling and living in Cuba after recent reports of cholera. Several foreign tourists in Cuba have been infected with Cholera in recent weeks. The US Interests section in Havana, Cuba has warned visitors to the island against eating under cooked or uncooked dishes like ceviche. The US has also advised visitors to avoid drinking untreated water. The 51-year embargo against the island of Cuba limits or restricts American citizens from travelling to the island. However, Cuban Americans are allowed to visit any family living in the country.

"We urge you to follow public health recommendations and guidelines, such as safe food and water precautions and frequent hand washing to help prevent cholera infection," read a statement published online by the diplomatic mission. The Pan American Health Organization confirmed to the Associated Press that there have been five cases of cholera in people that have travelled to Cuba. Three of the five visited Havana before becoming ill. The five people that contracted cholera were not Americas but two were from Venezuela. Another two were from Chile and the fifth was an Italian.

This is the third time visitors to Cuba were infected with Cholera since last summer. There were 417 people afflicted with Cholera in Eastern Cuba last year. Three people died from the illness. In January of this year there were 51 non-fatal cases of cholera. AP spoke with a Cuban resident, Carlos Rodriguez told the news organization he was not worried about a cholera outbreak. "If there were to be cholera, the Health Ministry has an action plan with a super-strict system of isolating infected people," Rodriguez told AP. "So far I haven't had any news about there being cholera."

Cholera is an infectious disease of the small intestine. The disease is contagious and is often coupled with symptoms of dehydration, diarrhea, loss of fluid and loss of electrolytes. Often times those with severe cases of cholera will collapse. Medicalnewstoday.com says people with blood type O are more likely to contract severe cholera. The medical website says "the disease was first discovered in 1883 to be due to infection with Vibrio cholera, a comma shaped bacteria. The discovery was made by the German scientist Robert Koch."

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