World IN BRIEF : PERU : 200,000 Cholera Cases Seen Possible

Peru’s health minister said that the cholera epidemic sweeping the country could infect up to 200,000 people. Carlos Vidal also said the country’s economy was being harmed by trade embargoes other countries have slapped on some Peruvian products to prevent the spread of the disease beyond Peru’s borders. He said that 16,600 people had contracted the bacterial infection since it broke out three weeks ago. Of those, 3,730 people were hospitalized and 100 died. Health experts said they attributed the origin of the bacteria to polluted coastal waters.