Haiti Cholera Outbreak

2010 | October 22, 2010 – March 15, 2011

On October 20, 2010, the first outbreak of cholera ever confirmed in Haiti was recognized 10 months after the catastrophic earthquake that killed over 200,000 people and displaced over 1 million.

This cholera outbreak was the worst in recent history with over 820,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, CDC worked closely with the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population to combat the cholera epidemic and reduce the impact of the disease.

doctor in scrubs

CDC supported efforts to eliminate cholera transmission by improving diarrheal disease surveillance; enhancing laboratories capacity to culture specimens; training rural potable water and sanitation technicians; expanding water, sanitation, and hygiene capacity; and supporting oral cholera vaccine campaigns.