The Ministry of Health in Jamaica is closely monitoring a patient who has symptoms of a water borne bacteria that are similar to cholera.
According to the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Winston De La Haye, although “Vibrio Cholerae” – the bacteria that found in the diarrhea illness was found in the patient’s blood during routine investigations , the patient’s symptoms are not consistent with cholera.
However, samples have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in Trinidad and Tobago.
“The first order of business is to determine which type of organism it is; there are a number of other species, and it is for that reason that we have sent off a sample to CARPHA which is our usual reference laboratory,” he said.
CARPHA is scheduled to confirm their findings on Tuesday.
As a precautionary measure, the patient has been isolated .
