NEW YORK – the first known cases of cholera in new York since the outbreak of the disease in Haiti last year have been confirmed by city officials.
New York City health officials said a commercial laboratory notified them on Friday that three new Yorkers had developed diarrhea and dehydration, classic symptoms of the disease.
The new Yorkers’ had returned from a wedding on January 22 and 23 in the Dominican Republic, where the government has been trying to prevent the disease from spreading from neighboring Haiti.
The three who contracted cholera were adults, who returned to the city within days of the wedding. None were hospitalised.
Dr. Sharon Balter, a medical epidemiologist for the new York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said on Saturday that the victims had all recovered.
Officials declined to release the names of the patients or where they lived.
Dr. Balter said health officials are now working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine what the new York victims ate and to see if the strain of the disease they contracted is linked to the cholera epidemic that has ravaged Haiti since October last year.
“We’re providing support to the state, with lab testing, in determining which strain is at issue,” said Candice Burns Hoffmann, a spokeswoman for the CDC.
“And I know there is an investigation in the Dominican Republic, as well, for that wedding, and the CDC is there to support the state health department and also international organisations,” she added.
CDC officials have noted a few cases of cholera in the past three or four months from travellers who arrived in the United States from Haiti or the Dominican Republic, Hoffmann said.
While cholera can spread swiftly where sanitation is poor and clean drinking water is unavailable, the possibility of transmitting the disease in new York is considered low, officials said.
The likelihood of person-to-person transmission is also low, as one would have to drink large amounts of water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, the cholera-causing bacteria, to get sick, officials added.
“People get cholera by drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with cholera,” said Erin Hughes, a spokeswoman for the city’s health department.
Those with cholera can recover rapidly, particularly if they rehydrate by drinking water with salt or sugar. in some cases, intravenous treatment and antibiotics might be required.
Dr. Balter said in new York, the occasional cholera case is not unusual. Officials see an average of one a year, particularly among those traveling to regions where the disease is common.
But, until now, she said no cases have emerged since the outbreak in Haiti.
United States federal health officials had put new York City health authorities on notice before the confirmation of the three cases on Friday. But city health officials had already been watching for cases to emerge and had sent alerts to doctors, Dr. Balter said.
“we work closely with the CDC on these cases, so we know about the outbreaks and we expected cases,” Dr. Balter said. “we may see more cases. we probably will see more cases. And we always see cases related to travel.” (CMC)