Lessons learned from past cholera epidemics, interventions which are needed today

As the world is witnessing a continuous epidemic of cholera in Haiti in the new millennium, global concerns on this reemerging infection is on the rise.[1] Although a downward trend in the fatality of this epidemic has been reported recently, the attack rate still remains high at 6.1%.[2] It is of interest to know that before the recent earthquake, cholera was not seen in Haiti for more than a century and an independent panel convened by the United Nation (UN) concluded that the infection was brought back to Haiti by the United Nation (UN) stabilizing forces.[3-5] Cholera epidemic is usually associated with poor quality of drinking water and other indicators of poor hygiene, which may also provoke epidemics of other infectious agents specially hepatitis A and E.[6,7] Analyzing previous outbreaks of cholera may help to control these infections in Haiti more effectively and avoid similar tragedies. Continuity of this epidemic for a long period indicates that despite some optimistic views on rapid control, there is still failure in achieving control of this foreign-based epidemic in Haiti.