Two Boston-based doctors think they’ve identified the first Haitian who caught cholera and then spread the disease to others after an earthquake hit the island two years ago this week.
Cholera has taken the lives of some 7,000 Haitians and sickened about a half million more.
Several studies now show that UN peacekeepers from Nepal likely introduced cholera to the island inadvertently when they were in Haiti following the earthquake.
The details of what are thought to be the first case are in a new study (PDF) Dr. Louise Ivers has co-authored with David Walton.
It was published Tuesday in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Dr. Louise Ivers works with Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and with the aid group Partners In Health.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!