Cholera reaches Venezuela via Dominican Republic

Venezuela's health minister confirmed Wednesday 21 cases of cholera brought back to the country from a family gathering in the Dominican Republic, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing reports by state run media.

According to the minister, Eugenia Sader, more than 400 Venezuelans attended the event last week, where the disease was transmitted through contaminated food. Twenty-one returning vacationers were getting treatment for cholera in Venezuela with a dozen more seeking medical attention in the Dominican Republic.

Venezuelan authorities also reported that four other cholera cases connected to the reunion have been reported in Spain, the United States and Mexico.

According to state run media, Sader said it is likely that others at the gathering have not yet shown symptoms and could be carrying the infection. She encouraged anyone who was part of the celebration to come forward and receive medical attention within the next 48 hours. Sader attempted to calm the public, saying that the chance of a widespread epidemic in Venezuela was low.

Haiti's deadly cholera epidemic broke out in October before spreading to the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Citing figures from Haitian health officials, the Pan American Health Organization reports that as of Jan. 16 there were 194,095 cumulative cholera cases and 3,819 deaths in Haiti from the disease.

"Cholera is only a problem when there is a serious lack of adequate drinking water and sanitation," said Daniel Epstein, a spokesman for the Washington, DC-based PAHO. "Cholera is really just severe diarrhea; if it's treated rapidly almost all people survive."

Epstein said the disease spread quickly in Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. "In Haiti we had so many cases because people were drinking water out of rivers," he said.

According to Epstein, there have been 244 confirmed cases of cholera in the Dominican Republic as of Wednesday, with one reported death.