Cholera deaths increase to 109 in Dominican

The number of deaths caused by cholera in the Dominican Republic have increased to 109, and there are 15,876 suspect cases, according to government figures released on Friday. Public Health Ministry said in a statement that the intensity of the outbreak has been decreasing since six weeks ago, but the region of Gran Santo Domingo, which includes the Dominican capital city, still faces a serious epidemic situation. The government is developing preventive measures which include informing the population, careful observation of diarrhea cases, providing drinkable water and building new public toilets as part of efforts to contain the outbreak, it added. The latest Cholera outbreak appeared in the Dominican Republic last November, a month after cases were reported in Haiti. The Ministry said they stepped up efforts to monitor the situation after tropical storm "Emily" passed through parts of the country two weeks ago. After the beginning of the rain season, cholera cases have increased generally and all the public hospitals in the country are provided with supplies and medical staff to care for the people with symptoms of cholera or other tropical diseases.