Haiti's Cholera Death Toll Continues to Rise

There is anguish for the dead as Haitians endure the latest aftershock following the earthquake: Cholera. At the main hospital in Saint-Marc, children lie on stretchers. Maxed-out doctors and nurses rush from patient to patient, giving lifesaving fluids. In four days, they've seen 1,700 people, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook reports from the scene.

"The mothers, the parents, are saying 'Help my baby, help my baby,' and it's too late," said Dr. Koji Nakashima. "You do everything you can. There's no explaining that."

More than 250 people are dead and 3,000 are sick as the outbreak spreads from Saint-Marc to the capital of Port-au-Prince. In an effort to contain the outbreak, the Dominican Republic closed its border with Haiti.

LaPook in Haiti: "Controlled Chaos" of Cholera
LaPook on Cholera: I Fear a "Major Disaster"
Haitian Gov't: Cholera Outbreak Stabilizing

This acute infection can dehydrate the body in hours.

One patient has enough water in her body to sweat. Tears and sweat are a sign that doctors look at - and look for - to see if a person is very dehydrated. The fact she has some sweat is a very good sign.

Health officials believe the Artibonite River, Haiti's largest, may be the source of the cholera.

A massive information campaign is under way telling Haitians to use only treated water and to wash their hands thoroughly. Aid groups are racing to distribute clean water and filtration systems, and the CDC is working closely with Haitian authorities to track the outbreak.

While more than $10 billion has been pledged since the earthquake, there's been little progress rebuilding the housing and sanitation infrastructure needed to prevent this fast-moving disease.

"One of the mothers said, 'I left two of our kids dead at home. This is the one that's alive. Do what you can. Please save him,'" said Dr. Nakashima. "As a physician and as a person it's obviously a lot of pressure. But this is what we do."

That child is doing well tonight. Officials say the death rate has slowed. But it's still early in the epidemic, and this disease is unpredictable.

[nmskydog]

Dear Dr. Jonathan LaPook MD,
In your recent report about the Cholera out break in Haiti I noticed that once again people are not using the cloth respirators properly. At the top of the white cloth respirator is a shiny strip of metal that is there so that the user can form that part of the respirator to fit the bridge of the users? nose. The way people are using this respirator allows for much leakage at the top of the respirator.
Many pictures of people, at ground zero, Twin towers, (9-11) rescue, area, show emergency workers wearing their masks improperly. Now many have damage to their lungs.

During the Anthrax by mail scare all the major networks were showing workers not getting the full benefit from their respirator. I emailed all the networks each time about this but still the word is not out. Look again at your Haiti report and find the directions on the box that the respirators come from and you will be able to see what I?m talking about.

So many of the lung ailments to the 9-11 workers could have been prevented by people reading the directions on the box.

If you did a piece on this you could help thousands better protect themselves.

Thank you
Bill Cummings
Las Cruces, NM 88005
[phone]

[newsterI]

"is the website for Pur packets. This is a simple, affordable solution to cleaner water in Haiti. I am amazed that with all of the resources available, that it has"
=====================================================================================

Who cares, we have our own problems in case you missed it!
Let them rot, they have far too many people for the finite environment and resources, they need to lose half of that overpopulation or the next time thins happens they will be right back in the same situation.
SAY NO to artificial props and support, not one more US dollar for foreign aid untill every one of OUR people are back to work and our economy has a deficit of zero!

[krustykanuck]

Who are you kidding? We should not be in the nation building business but giving aid is the least we can do. We've propped up the current corrupt government that is in the middle of this mess. Keep the overpopulation crap to yourself please, or at least jump off a bridge to help with your cause.

[HikerDan]

So, krusty, you do believe that "overpopulation" is a myth... Politically incorrect cuss word. Let me surprise you with unusual concept: Ir you are unable to support 7 kids, DO NOT HAVE SEVEN KIDS... Especially if your country doesn't have adequate velfare system. Don't just pop them out like puppies. All they need is some mentality change (long shot) and more birth control options. But nooooooo... Condoms are bad, the feeling is not the same. Just give more aid. And then some more. And then some. Foolish of you to wish newster death. Try to refrain from posting if guided only by emotions - you don't look smart.

[mb91764]

I'm trying not to sound rude but where has all that aid gone?They were warn to do something a long time ago,or this would happen.I'm so confuse at what has gone wrong.You can't keep sending money that is not being accounted for.It's like "let send a few billion and hope it gos to the people in most need."I keep seeing to many stories coming out of this nation about the corruptions.How can you trust to give help when its not going anywhere it suppose to.