Cholera outbreak in Cuba, at least 15 dead

A rare cholera outbreak in Cuba has left at least 15 dead and hundreds of others ill.

The BBC reported that most of the cases have occured in the island nation's south eastern Granma province, about 500 miles from Havana.

Cuba’s Public Health Ministry has made a rare statement confirming the outbreak and assuring that they have the situation under control, with the elderly and pregnant prioritized.

Authorities in the city of Manzanillo are distributing chlorine and water purification drops while local hospitals quarantined victims, said the Associated Press.

Caribbean 360 reported that the Cuban government has claimed that the outbreak was caused by contaminated well water.

Heavy rains and high temperatures, officials said, had made purification systems malfunction.

Cholera is a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea and fever that could lead to death.

The outbreak is said to be the first in a half century, reported Carribean 360.

Neighboring Haiti was stricken with the bacteria in 2010 with more than 7000 reported dead.