The U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a health alert for Cuba on Friday, warning travelers and residents of a spike in intestinal illnesses and diarrhea caused by failing water and electricity supply.
“The U.S. Embassy has noted a significant increase in diarrheal illness across Cuba, associated with the continuing degradation of the water and energy infrastructure,” the alert stated. “This degradation affects water supply, and food storage and temperature control.”
The Trump administration has imposed a fuel blockade on the communist-run island.
The Trump administration says sanctions are necessary to force a change in the island’s government, a decades-long aim of the U.S. following Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Trump has called Cuba a national security threat to the United States.
Residents throughout Cuba have for months complained of rampant illnesses that cause several days of diarrhea, fever and body aches, leaving many bedridden.
During the Caribbean’s sultry summer, sleep without air conditioning or a fan often becomes impossible, as does food preservation without refrigeration.
The U.S. health alert on Friday advised travelers and residents in Cuba to “be cautious of … perishable foods that may have been inadequately stored,” and warned against eating “foods that appear to have been sitting at room temperature for extended periods.”
(NTD)
