On 3 July the Cuban Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of cholera in the south-western city of Manzanillo. It is the first time in almost 150 years that an outbreak of cholera is reported in the island. The heavy rains and the high temperatures during the previous weeks have likely influenced the occurrence of the disease. As of 3 July, 53 cases of Vibrio cholerae, including three deaths, have been officially confirmed.
Since 7 July, several media sources report a higher number of cases and the disease has spread to other cities including the capital, Havana.
At this stage there is no information available about the outbreak strain, nor of the origin of the outbreak.
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