First cases of cholera have been registered in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, which has sparked fears that the epidemic could grip thousands sheltered in refugee camps in the capital, Al Jazeera said on Sunday.
Local health officials confirmed the cases on Saturday, saying that the five had become infected in the main outbreak area of Artibonite, to the north of Port-au-Prince, and were isolated after falling ill, the TV channel said.
At least 208 people have died on the island since the outbreak of cholera nine months after a devastating January 12 earthquake killed more than 220,000 people in Haiti.
Officials have warned that the death toll from the epidemic, the first in half-century, could rise further as more than 2,000 cholera infections have been registered on the island.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from Port-au-Prince said fears were high in the capital following the announcement.
"The main focus is on the IDP (internally displaced person) camps. You have 1.3 million people living in very squalid conditions, conditions in which health officials have told us are breeding grounds for disease - very poor levels of sanitation, almost no drinking water," Sebastian Walker reported.
A state of emergency has been declared in the epidemic-hit Artibonite. Medics and aide groups are working 24 hours to prevent the further spread of the disease.
MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti)
