Cholera deaths increase to 109 in Dominican Republic

 　　SANTO DOMINGO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The number of deaths caused by cholera¹ in the Dominican Republic have increased to 109, and there are 15,876 suspect cases, according to government figures released on Friday.

　　Public Health Ministry² said in a statement that the intensity³ of the outbreak has been decreasing since six weeks ago, but the region of Gran Santo Domingo, which includes the Dominican capital city, still faces a serious epidemic⁴ situation.

　　The government is developing preventive measures which include informing the population, careful observation of diarrhea cases, providing drinkable water and building new public toilets as part of efforts to contain the outbreak, it added.

　　The latest Cholera outbreak appeared in the Dominican Republic last November, a month after cases were reported in Haiti.

　　The Ministry said they stepped up efforts to monitor the situation after tropical storm "Emily" passed through parts of the country two weeks ago.

　　After the beginning of the rain season, cholera cases have increased generally and all the public hospitals in the country are provided with supplies and medical staff to care for the people with symptoms of cholera or other tropical diseases.

1 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

4 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。