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Book Cover
E-book
Author Frerichs, Ralph R., author.

Title Deadly river : cholera and cover-up in post-earthquake Haiti / Ralph R. Frerichs
Published Ithaca : ILR Press, an imprint of Cornell University Press, 2016
©2016

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Description 1 online resource (xi, 301 pages) : illustrations, maps
Series The culture and politics of health care work
Culture and politics of health care work.
Contents Upheaval -- Vibrio cholerae -- Rumors -- Stealth -- Hypotheses -- Maps -- Altered reality -- Journalist -- Secrecy -- Obfuscation -- Speculation -- Pandemics and South Asia -- Report -- Vodou and cholera -- Inquiry -- Politics before science -- Nepal -- Concealed in the field -- Quarantine and isolation -- The wall cracks -- Answers -- Sanitation, water, and vaccination -- Struggles and elimination -- Rapprochement
Summary In October 2010, nine months after the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, a second disaster began to unfold--soon to become the world's largest cholera epidemic in modern times. In a country that had never before reported cholera, the epidemic mysteriously and simultaneously appeared in river communities of central Haiti, eventually triggering nearly 800,000 cases and 9,000 deaths. What had caused the first cases of cholera in Haiti in recorded history? Who or what was the deadly agent of origin? Why did it explode in the agricultural-rich delta of the Artibonite River? When answers were few, rumors spread, causing social and political consequences of their own. Wanting insight, the Haitian government and French embassy requested epidemiological assistance from France. A few weeks into the epidemic, physician and infectious disease specialist Renaud Piarroux arrived in Haiti. In Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs tells the story of the epidemic--of a French disease detective determined to trace its origins so that he could help contain the spread and possibly eliminate the disease--and the political intrigue that has made that effort so difficult. The story involves political maneuvering by powerful organizations such as the United Nations and its peacekeeping troops in Haiti, as well as by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Frerichs explores a quest for scientific truth and dissects a scientific disagreement involving world-renowned cholera experts who find themselves embroiled in intellectual and political turmoil in a poverty-stricken country. Frerichs's narrative highlights how the world's wealthy nations, nongovernmental agencies, and international institutions respond when their interests clash with the needs of the world's most vulnerable people. The story poses big social questions and offers insights not only on how to eliminate cholera in Haiti but also how nations, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and CDC deal with catastrophic infectious disease epidemics
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-294) and index
Notes English
Print version record
Subject United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.
SUBJECT United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti fast
Subject Cholera -- Haiti -- Epidemiology
Earthquake relief -- Haiti -- International cooperation
Emergency medical services -- Haiti -- International cooperation
Humanitarian assistance -- Haiti -- International cooperation
Haiti Earthquake, Haiti, 2010.
Water-supply.
Emergency medical services.
Water Supply
Cholera -- epidemiology
Waterborne Diseases -- epidemiology
Emergency Medical Services
Disasters -- prevention & control
emergency medical centers.
MEDICAL -- Forensic Medicine.
MEDICAL -- Preventive Medicine.
MEDICAL -- Public Health.
SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Disasters & Disaster Relief.
Water-supply
Emergency medical services
Cholera -- Epidemiology
Emergency medical services -- International cooperation
SUBJECT Haiti
Subject Haiti
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2015036033
ISBN 9781501703638
1501703633