According to the medical report, the patients have not been evacuated for more than 32 hours, they remain stable and in good spirits. | Photo: presidencia.gob.do

Santo Domingo, February 7 (RHC)-- The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (Mispas) of the Dominican Republic, through the Vice-Ministry of Collective Health and its General Directorate of Epidemiology (Digepi) confirmed the appearance of five new cases of cholera in that Caribbean country.

The government agency stated that the cases correspond to four men aged 82, 45, 37 and 19 years and a 34-year-old woman, all residents of the Los Solares del Almirante sector, in Santo Domingo, the capital.

The patients were admitted between 2 and 3 February to a health center with symptoms of the virus such as vomiting and watery, whitish diarrhea.  After being stabilized and hydrated, they underwent stool tests which were positive for the disease.

Health authorities in the Dominican Republic issued a statement in which they emphasized that "the epidemiological surveillance and permanent intervention in the areas to detect, prevent and investigate any suspected case of the disease, as well as the installation of a mobile medical clinic" is being maintained.

"The medical report certifies that the patients have not been evacuated for more than 32 hours, are stable and in good spirits.  In any case, they remain hospitalized for observation purposes, with the possibility of being discharged in the next few hours," the text indicates.

The health ministry urges people in the Dominican Republic to take care of themselves and advises that if someone has watery diarrhea several times a day, they should stay well hydrated and go immediately to the nearest health center.