The Bahamas: Health officials confirm cholera case on New Providence island

The Bahamas: The Ministry of Health said the person is a Bahamian man who has a recent history of international travel.

“The patient presented to a private medical facility [on Wednesday] with vomiting and diarrhoea and was subsequently admitted and isolated pending screening for suspected cholera, which has since been confirmed via lab test,” the ministry said.

“He is currently receiving treatment and is listed in stable condition. Disease Surveillance is monitoring the situation along with other relevant government agencies as is standard operating practice.”

The ministry noted that cholera is not endemic to The Bahamas, and the last case was detected in 2017.

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a person could get cholera from eating food or drinking contaminated water with cholera bacteria.

“During an epidemic, the cause of contamination is typically an infected person’s faeces that contaminate food or water. In locations where sewage and drinking water are not properly treated, the disease can spread quickly,” the CDC said.

Neighbouring Haiti recently reported a resurgence of the virus, which claimed over 9,700 deaths during an outbreak that occurred between 2010 and 2019.