World Notes

Already afflicted by economic ills and a festering guerrilla insurgency, Peru is now plagued by an epidemic of cholera sweeping along its Pacific coast. As of last week, the disease had claimed 90 lives and infected at least 14,000 people. It is the first major outbreak of cholera in the western hemisphere since early in this century.

Local authorities have moved quickly to stem the epidemic, which is spread by poor hygiene and contaminated water, raw food and fish. Street-side food vending in Lima has been banned, and a national media campaign is under way to encourage sanitary habits. In an effort to prevent the disease from spreading to their neighboring countries, health officials in Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile have prohibited the importation of uncooked Peruvian food products. Soccer matches in Lima between Peruvian teams and squads from Argentina and Uruguay have also been canceled. While the exact source of the outbreak remains unclear, tests of coastal waters have shown a high degree of contamination. Some reports speculate that the cholera arrived on a ship from Southeast Asia.