Cholera from Haiti, what about the caves now in Dominican Republic????????

[Neptuno]

Well, apparently Cholera started to show up, the bad side, looks like started on the east, in a city upstream from my nearest caves, many caves in fact...

my question now, what happen in case the underground water gets contaminated? sounds like something extremely bad, specially here that all the septic waste goes directly underground in a limestone rock, which obviously take the waste directly to the underground rivers, no filtration at all.

What would be the steps for clearing up the systems from cholera? any experience about that in florida or other places with karstic grounds? what is the risk for divers diving in contaminated waters? does it infects thru the skin?

to me, thinking about a cholera contaminated septic, dripping xxxx in a cave system, will take many, many years in clear, and will be like an eternal epidemy...
thoughts? ideas, old experiences??...

[phillip1]

Well that really sucks, I always end up drinking cave water when i am thirsty too. I guess it was a matter of time.

[Neptuno]

I'd really be interested in knowing how cholera affect the aquifers, if somebody around know something about.

[stairman]

If the beaver poop in P3 hasent killed me then maybe the caves of D.R will be ok.

[phillip1]

Lol, yeah but in the DR you get cow poop, goat poop, dog poop and people poop,lol maybe I developed a bit of immunity I even surfed around puerto plata a lot too and that is really dirty water.

[Neptuno]

guys, try not to go far off, I think it could be something serious, even for the US since a lot still working in haiti from the US

[phillip1]

Ok so i guess it I sthe first confirmed case

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11771109

[LCF]

I don't have any knowledge of aquifers or how quickly or slowly they might rid themselves of Vibrio bacteria, but I can tell you that cholera is not absorbed through the skin. It is fecal/oral transmission -- you have to swallow the water, or at least get a fair amount of it in your mouth.

Cholera is not a deadly disease, either. It kills in places like Haiti because the infrastructure is poor. Cholera, even if not treated with antibiotics, can be survived with an aggressive oral rehydration program, using a simple electrolyte/glucose solution. Death from cholera is primary due to simple dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

[Neptuno]

yes that is the first one.

[Neptuno]

haiti and DR are not that far in infrastructure and poverty, this country is not ready for cholera really. I'd really like to know how the bacteria spread in the water, how long it survives, etc, is not only the risk for us diving, is how long it will stay in the water in case of epidemy. If the bug can't survive inside the cave and can only do so in the water surface is ok, I want to know it, or if the bacteria can survive all over in the water will be something interesting to be known as well.