Authorities in eastern Cuba are in full prevention mode to contain a rare cholera outbreak amid fears that it may have spread to the capital, distributing chlorine and water purification drops and quarantining hospital patients with diarrhea until they are checked for the disease.

Authorities in eastern Cuba are in full prevention mode to contain a rare cholera outbreak amid fears that it may have spread to the capital, distributing chlorine and water purification drops and quarantining hospital patients with diarrhea until they are checked for the disease.
In the eastern city of Manzanillo in Granma Province, cars crawl through the streets with loudspeakers reminding people of the importance of good hygiene, several residents said. However, there has been no travel quarantine on the city and the streets are calm even if some people are jittery.
The precautions follow an official announcement last week of three deaths and 53 diagnosed cases of the waterborne disease, which had not been seen in Cuba for many years. A Cuban health ministry bulletin said the outbreak was under control, but the Cuban government has not followed up the announcement with more information, fueling rumors and contradictory stories.
The BBC reported over the weekend that at least one case of cholera had been detected in Havana, without naming its sources. The Miami Herald, quoting an apparent dissident who lives in Granma Province, said more than 1,000 people had been sickened, while exile blogs such a