Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Winston De La Haye says the sample sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha) from a patient being treated for water borne disease, is negative for cholera.

On June 9, the ministry was notified of a patient presenting with abdominal pain and fever.

Routine investigations identified a bacteria in the patient’s blood.

The Ministry of Health stated that based on the patient’s presentation, the bacteria was not consistent with the vibrio cholerae specie associated with severe diarrhoeal illness, commonly known as ‘cholera’.

This morning, Dr. De La Haye stated that the provisional report from Carpha states that the samples which were sent to Carpha were negative for the virus cholera.

He added that the test will be repeated and a formal report should follow next week.

The Ministry of Health is informing the public that currently there has been no confirmed case of cholera in Jamaica.

The last known case of cholera in Jamaica occurred 150 years ago.