Cholera toll rises above 250 but Haitians still see hope

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Hati - Haitian health officials worked on Monday to contain a cholera epidemic after statistics showed new infections had begun to taper off while the overall toll of cholera-related deaths rose above 250.

The new toll of 253 dead and 3,115 infections, provided by the director-general of Haiti's health department Gabriel Thimote, represented an increase of only 33 fatalities over a 24-hour period.

The disease "is limited to a well-defined perimeter" in the northern region of Artibonite and part of the central plateau, Foreign Minister Marie-Michele Rey told reporters.