Cholera Outbreak Sparks Fears, Protests in Haitian Countryside

While Haiti continues to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and continues to suffer the effects of years of corruption, oppression , mismanagement and exposure to an array of natural calamities from hurricanes to earthquakes, cholera has not been present in Haiti for generations. The disease is little understood, and its spread has inflamed passions.

On Tuesday, protesters attacked a cholera treatment center as it was preparing to open in the city of St. Marc, before it began spreading through the countryside. Some of the roughly 300 students and other protesters said they feared the Doctors Without Borders-Spain clinic would bring more of the disease to their seaside town, which is one of the hardest hit in the week-old epidemic.

Despite the concern over the spread of the disease, and the difficulties attendant on fighting it in Haiti, UN officials say there is no need at present to close borders. Fadella Chaib from the World Health Organization says despite the increase risk, no restrictions will be put on the movement of people.

"From a public point of view, there is no need to close borders or to restrict travel or trade. WHO is driven by public health imperatives. For all cholera outbreaks worldwide I do not remember that we asked for any country to close their borders and this is exactly the case for Haiti. No need to close the border with the Dominican Republic or any other frontier."

The Dominican Republic, which borders the central plateau where many new cases are being found, announced that all people crossing the border must wash hands and complete a medical form.

They have also stepped up military surveillance and closed a twice-weekly binational market on Monday, sparking protests on the Haitian side of the border. Listen: