Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 OcTOber 2017

Puerto Rico investigates post-hurricane disease outbreak

driver, took a drink from Ninety percent of the island
a stream near his con- is still without power and the
crete home on a hillside in government says it hopes
Canovanas a week after to have electricity restored
the Sept. 20 storm. completely by March.
He then developed a fe- Leptospirosis is not uncom-
ver, his skin turned yellow mon in the tropics, par-
and within a week, he died ticularly after heavy rains
at a hospital in Carolina, or floods. Rossello said the
according to his widow, symptoms can be con-
Maritza Rivera. fused with those of other
Dr. Juan Santiago said illnesses, including dengue,
Sanyet was among five and the Centers for Disease
patients who came in his Control and Prevention
emergency clinic last week was helping to investigate.
with similar symptoms af- Two of the deaths were in
ter drinking from streams in Bayamon, and one each
Canovanas and Loiza. in Carolina and Mayaguez.
The water was still not run- Other patients have been
ning at Sanyet’s house this receiving treatment with
week, but Rivera, said she antibiotics.
and her family were drink- Rossello said that fliers with
ing only bottled water, in- instructions on how to dis-
cluding some delivered by infect water will be sent
In this Sept. 28, 2017 photo, people affected by Hurricane Maria bathe in water piped in from a
mountain creek, in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. Four deaths in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath are being the town. to mayors for distribution
investigated as possible cases of a disease spread by animals’ urine, Puerto Rico’s governor said Her husband was the only with food supplies in towns
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, amid concerns about islanders’ exposure to contaminated water. one who drank from the across Puerto Rico.
(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) stream, she said. “For people that have ac-
By MICHAEL MELIA nor said Wednesday amid On a U.S. territory where a “He was a friend to every- cess to internet and have
Associated Press concerns about islanders’ third of customers remain one,” Rivera said. “I don’t access to printers, be good
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico exposure to contaminated without running water three know how I’ll face every- citizens and help us distrib-
(AP) — Four deaths in Hur- water. weeks after the hurricane, thing without him.” ute this information,” Ros-
ricane Maria’s aftermath A total of 10 people have some became ill after turn- Forty-five deaths in Puerto sello said.
are being investigated come down with suspect- ing to local streams to re- Rico have been blamed The Health Department
as possible cases of a dis- ed cases of leptospirosis, lieve their thirst. on Hurricane Maria, which and the U.S. military also will
ease spread by animals’ Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Jorge Antonio Sanyet Mo- tore across the island with be distributing pills to purify
urine, Puerto Rico’s gover- at a news conference. rales, a 61-year-old bus 150 mph (240 kph) winds. water, he said. q

Death toll from northern Mexico prison riot rises to 16

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The how many of the prisoners Tuesday’s riot saw inmates with metal tools and rubble ganizations. State prosecu-
death toll from a prison riot were killed by bullets fired take guards hostage, from work that was being tor Bernardo Gonzalez said
in the northern Mexican by state and federal police beat them and threaten carried out inside the facil- 54 inmates were being in-
border state of Nuevo Leon who finally quelled the vio- to throw them off the roof ity. Fasci said several hours vestigated for crimes com-
rose to 16 on Wednesday lence. of the prison. All afternoon of attempted negotiations mitted in the riot.
when three more inmates Fasci said the riot was fu- desperate relatives of in- failed, and police were un- In March, four inmates died
died of their wounds. eled by “fights between ri- mates demanded informa- able to put down the riot after they took control of a
Two guards and several in- val gangs,” a half-dozen of tion from authorities outside without using lethal force. pharmacy at the same pris-
mates were also hurt in the which were housed at the the gates as black smoke He said prisoners at the on and apparently over-
uprising. state prison in the city of poured from several points. facility are separated by dosed. In February 2016, in
State government spokes- Cadereyta. When police first went in gang affiliation, but that another lockup in Nuevo
man Aldo Fasci said au- One guard whose lung was trying to take control, they one group didn’t fit be- Leon, 49 prisoners died
topsies had not yet been punctured remained in seri- were met by about 150 pris- cause members had when two factions of the
completed to determine ous condition. oners who attacked them worked for a number of or- Zetas cartel clashed.q