Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Haitian Officials Investigate 120 Suspected Cholera Cases VOA News 09 November 2010 A woman suffering from cholera symptoms is treated at the St. Nicholas hospital in Saint Marc, Haiti, 8 Nov. 2010. Photo: AP A woman suffering from cholera symptoms is treated at the St. Nicholas hospital in Saint Marc, Haiti, 8 Nov. 2010. Health officials in Haiti say they are investigating at least 120 suspected cases of cholera in the capital of Port-au-Prince.  If the tests come back positive, it will confirm fears that the water-borne disease has spread beyond the Artibonite region north of the capital, where the epidemic has been centered since it was first detected last month. The Haitian health ministry says 544 people have died since the outbreak began, while more than 8,000 people have been hospitalized. The disease has spread to half of the Caribbean nation's 10 administrative regions.  Aid workers expressed concerns the cholera epidemic would spread after floods triggered by Hurricane Tomas, which struck Haiti last week. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water, and causes diarrhea and vomiting, leading to severe dehydration.  The United Nations has warned that Haitians living in crowded tent cities since January's devastating earthquake are susceptible to cholera, due to the poor sanitary conditions. Some information for this report was provided by AP. .