The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Haiti has passed the 300 mark despite claims by the Haitian health minister that the outbreak is stabilizing, Press TV reported.
Haiti's Health Ministry said on Thursday an additional 502 cases were reported to hospitals, taking the total number of reported cholera cases in the country to 4,649, AFP reported.
On Monday, Haiti's Health Minister Alex Larsen said he believed the cholera outbreak was stabilizing, adding that reports of the outbreak spreading have not so far been confirmed.
The construction of a cholera treatment center in western Haiti was halted on Wednesday as hundreds of residents protested against it amid fears of the spread of the outbreak.
Aid groups and government officials fear the outbreak might reach the relief camps around the capital where people have been living since an earthquake hit the country on January 12.
Aid groups are rushing in medical and relief supplies to control the outbreak.
The Haitian government has begun educational campaigns to inform the local population of what steps they should take if they think they have contracted the disease.
Cholera was not present in Haiti before January's earthquake. Experts, however, warn that conditions are ripe for the disease to strike in areas with limited access to clean water.