Cholera cases suspected in Haiti's capital

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Haiti's cholera outbreak appears to have reached Port-au-Prince, an American doctor said.

Dr. Kara Gibson of the Samaritan's Purse charity told the BBC she has seen patients in the Cite Soleil slum with symptoms of the disease.

The Health Ministry says 501 Haitians have died from the disease so far, but health workers say there may be more victims in areas cut off by flooding after Hurricane Tomas.

Gibson said some patients have a severe form of watery diarrhea that seems to be cholera.

"Now that it is in Cite Soleil, you can expect to see it just explode," she told the BBC. "The hospital in that area is already at capacity. It is maxed out in ... a day and there is just no other site."

Relief agencies have been trying to get clean drinking water to areas worst hit by the hurricane, which caused flooding and left eight people dead.

Leogane, Les Cayes, Jacmel and Gonaives have had flooding and mudslides, but the storm passed without destroying the tent camps housing 1.3 million earthquake refugees around Port-au-Prince.

The battered country was struck by an earthquake Jan. 12 that killed an estimated 230,000 people.