Experts

RAYMOND RICHARD NEUTRA MD, DrPH

Deadly River tells two fascinating stories. One is about epidemiological and molecular biology detective work. This work justified the growing certainty that defective United Nations procedures had allowed Nepalese peacekeepers to start a devastating cholera epidemic in Haiti. The second story is about how the UN, the WHO, elements of the Haitian government, and the CDC did their best to prevent these facts from coming to light. They told themselves that they did this to serve what they thought was the greater public good. They pushed forward scientists with an academic ax to grind who had theories congenial to their agenda. We are used to industrial interests 'manufacturing doubt' about ‘inconvenient truths.’ This second story shows that governments do it as well.

Dr. Neutra is retired chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Public Health

JOHN J. MEKALANOS, PhD

Deadly River tells the story of how the lethal disease cholera found its way from the high valleys of the Himalayas to the tropical landscapes of Haiti, months after the devastating 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake. This knowledge didn't come easy but was acquired through the dogged efforts of many investigators (a dedicated French epidemiologist, international infectious disease experts, molecular biologists, and journalists) all of whom were focused on finding the truth rather than accepting speculation or unproven theories. Ralph R. Frerichs's book is a fascinating read that also provides many insights into the strengths and weaknesses of human nature—curiosity, skepticism, stubbornness, ignorance, pride, denial, deception—all framed by a tragic event that has changed the lives of millions of impoverished people.

Professor Mekalanos is Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Adele Lehman Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

Press, Interviews, Opinions and Journals

Guy Rathbun - Independent Radio Producer (YouTube), April 13, 2016 − Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-up in Post-earthquake Haiti, 6 minute video and interview by Guy Rathbun with author of "Deadly River"

Slate, April 14, 2016 − The Killer Hiding in the CDC Map, article by Jonathan M. Katz

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen, WNTK (New London, NH), April 26, 2016 − 28 minute interview by host with Ralph R. Frerichs, author of “Deadly River” (start midway at 29.48)

Conversations Live with Cyrus Webb (international blog talk radio), April 26, 2016 − 23 minute interview by host with author of “Deadly River”

Epidemiology Monitor, May 2016 − Interview With Author Of “Deadly River” - Officials Accused Of Covering Up The Source Of The Outbreak, French Epidemiologist Anointed As “Modern Day John Snow”

Pat Thurston Show, KGO 810 AM (San Francisco), May 1, 2016 − 42 minute interview by host with Ralph R. Frerichs (click player in middle panel)

IdeaSphere with Guy Rathbun − Public Radio Exchange, May 2, 2016 − 29 minute interview by host with author of "Deadly River"

Eurasia Review, May 7, 2016 − Corruption In The Time Of Cholera, opinion editorial by David Swanson

The Matthew Filipowitz Show − Progressive News, Interviews and Comedy, May 9, 2016 − 7 minute video interview by host with author of "Deadly River"

The 8:00 AM Buzz, WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI), May 11, 2016 − Who/What Caused The Cholera Epidemic In Haiti? − 23 minute interview by Jan Miyasaki with author of "Deadly River"

Rising Up with Sonali, May 11, 2016 − 31 minute oral interview by Sonali Kolhatkar with author of "Deadly River"

Rising Up with Sonali (Vimeo), May 11, 2016 − 22 minute video interview by Sonali Kolhatkar with author of "Deadly River"

The Joe Show, Joe Teehan, KBAI 930 AM (Bellingham, WA), May 16, 2016 − 27 minute interview by host with author of "Deadly River"

International Policy Digest, May 28, 2016 − excerpt from "Deadly River"

The Peter B. Collins Show (San Francisco), June 6, 2016 − In-Depth Interviews: Two Experts Reveal UN Cover-up of Its Role in 2010 Cholera Epidemic (Ralph R. Frerichs and Jonathan B. Katz)

Radio with a View, Marc Stern, WMPR 88.1 FM (Cambridge, MA), June 19, 2016 − 53 minute interview with host Marc Stern (click player at top, interview segment starts at 37:30).

The Tyee − independent news, culture and solutions (Vancouver, Canada), June 22, 2016 − Cholera in Haiti: A True-Crime Medical Thriller, review by Crawford Kilian.

The World Post – A partnership of the Huffington Post and the Berggruen Institute, July 4, 2016 − Deadly River: Cholera Time Bomb Thrives in Haiti’s Electoral Toxic Soup, review by Georgianne Nienaber.

Le National (Haiti), French, July 13, 2016 − Partie I: – Un bilan des multiples facettes du choléra en Haïti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, Par Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Le National (Haiti), English translation (Sheila Das, Jean-Marie Bourjolly), July 13, 2016 − Part 1 of 5: – A Review of Many Facets of Cholera in Haiti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, review by Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professor at Université du Québec à Montreal, a public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Le National (Haiti), French, July 14, 2016 − Partie II: – Un bilan des multiples facettes du choléra en Haïti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, Par Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Le National (Haiti), English translation (Sheila Das, Jean-Marie Bourjolly), July 14, 2016 − Part 2 of 5: – A Review of Many Facets of Cholera in Haiti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, review by Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professor at Université du Québec à Montreal.

Chapter One with Greg Grasso, The Library Radio Hour, KISU 91 FM (Idaho State University), July 14, 2016 − Deadly River, 56 minute interview with host Greg Grasso.

Chapter One with Greg Grasso, Apple Podcast (as of 2023), July 14, 2016 − Deadly River, 56 minute interview with host Greg Grasso.

Humanosphere, July 14, 2016 − WORLD POLITICS – A Lone Hand Raised on the Question of U.N. Responsibility for Cholera in Haiti, article by Tom Murphy.

Le National (Haiti), French, July 17, 2016 − Partie III: – Un bilan des multiples facettes du choléra en Haïti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, Par Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Le National (Haiti), English translation (Sheila Das, Jean-Marie Bourjolly), July 17, 2016 − Part 3 of 5: – A Review of Many Facets of Cholera in Haiti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, review by Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professor at Université du Québec à Montreal.

Le National (Haiti), French, July 18, 2016 − Quatrième partie: – Un bilan des multiples facettes du choléra en Haïti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, Par Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Le National (Haiti), English translation (Sheila Das, Jean-Marie Bourjolly), July 18, 2016 − Part 4 of 5: – A Review of Many Facets of Cholera in Haiti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, review by Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professor at Université du Québec à Montreal.

Write The Book Radio Show (Burlington VT), July 18, 2016 – A Review of Deadly River, 65 minute interview by host Shelagh Shapiro.

Le National (Haiti), French, July 19, 2016 − Fin: – Un bilan des multiples facettes du choléra en Haïti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, Par Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal.

Le National (Haiti), English translation (Sheila Das, Jean-Marie Bourjolly), July 19, 2016 − Part 5 of 5: – A Review of Many Facets of Cholera in Haiti: Deadly River, Ralph R. Frerichs, review by Jean-Marie Bourjolly, professor at Université du Québec à Montreal.

Fresh Fiction, August 4, 2016 − When humanitarian efforts go wrong, who is responsible?, review by Clare O'Beara.

Radio with a View, Marc Stern, WMPR 88.1 FM (Cambridge, MA), August 21, 2016 − 40 minute interview with host Marc Stern (click sound symbol at and move slider in player at top to 1:24:51 where the interview starts).

The Guardian, August 18, 2016 − UN makes first public admission of blame for Haiti cholera outbreak, article by Ed Pilkington.

Boston Globe, August 22, 2016 − What the UN must do to wipe out cholera in Haiti, op-ed 1 of 3 by Ralph R. Frerichs.

la marseillaise.fr, August 23, 2016 − Renaud Piarroux: "Les Nations Unies voulaient faire du choléra la conséquence d'un événement climatique"(Renaud Piarroux: "The United Nations wanted cholera to be the result of a weather event"), interview of Renaud Piarroux by Nathalie Fredon.

Miami Herald, August 24, 2016 − Cholera in Haiti shows U.N. must change its ways, op-ed 2 of 3 by Ralph R. Frerichs and Renaud Piarroux.

Workers World, August 25, 2016 − Cholera in Haiti: U.S. helped cover up UN’s role, article and book review by G. Dunkel.

Radio Health Journal, August 28, 2016 − 6-35 Segment 2: The Haitian Cholera Coverup, article and oral transmission by Nancy Benson and writer Michael Wu.

Le Monde, August 29, 2016 − Renaud Piarroux, le médecin qui a tenu tête à l’ONU ("Renaud Piarroux, the doctor who stood up to the United Nations"), article by Luc Leroux.

New York Times, September 7, 2016 − The U.N.’s Responsibility in Haiti’s Cholera Crisis, op-ed 3 of 3 by Renaud Piarroux.

International Quarterly of Community Health Education, Volume 36, Number 4, pp. 265-266, September 11, 2016 − Book Review. Frerichs RR. (2016). Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-Up in Post-Earthquake Haiti, by Laura Price.

Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 22, Number 11, pp. 2029-2030, November 2016 (ahead of print, October 5, 2016) − Books and Media: Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-Up in Post-Earthquake Haiti, by J. Glenn Morris, Associate Editor, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia; University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Morris is a prominent medical epidemiologist who was an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at CDC, heads a large NIH-funded research project in Haiti, and has jointly published six scientific articles on cholera with Rita R. Colwell, four of which were also co-authored by David A. Sack.

H5N1, October 5, 2016 − Mention of and comment about J. Glenn Morris's Deadly River book review in Emerging Infectious Diseases, by Crawford Kilian.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Volume 96, Number 1, pp. 258-259, January 2017 − The Tropical Bookshelf: “Padon pa geri maleng” (“Sorry doesn’t heal the scars”), a review of Deadly River by Claire Panosian Dunavan.

International Affairs, Volume 93, Number 1, pp. 213-215, January 2017 − Book Reviews − Energy, Environment and Global Health: Deadly River: cholera and cover-up in post-earthquake Haiti, a review by Sara E. Davies, Griffith University, Australia.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 17, Number 1, p. 38, January 2017 − Media Watch − Books: Cholera cover up in Haiti, a review of Deadly River by Jocalyn Clark.

Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, March 6, 2017 − Dean Pierre M Buekens' invitational lecture, New Orleans, Lousiana (video download, 1.1 gb): Cholera Cover-up in Haiti, by Ralph R. Frerichs with introduction by Dean Buekens.

Slate, March 30, 2017 − What They Knew, and When They Knew It, article by Jonathan M. Katz.

Epidemiology Monitor, Volume 38, Nunber 4, April 2017 − Epidemiologist Knighted In The French Legion Of Honor For His Work On Cholera In Haiti, includes Special Report by Ralph R. Frerichs.

American Journal of Public Health, Volume 107, Number 5, pp. 633-635, May 2017 − AJPH Book & Media: Disease Maps, History, and More, a book review of Cartographies of Disease, Maps, Mapping and Medicine by Tom Koch that mentions Deadly River, by Ralph R. Frerichs.

H5N1, July 15, 2017 − Suggested Summer Reading: Deadly River, by Crawford Kilian.

Cartographic Perspectives, Volume 88, pp 44-48, November 2017 − Review of Deadly River: Cholera and Cover-up In Post-Earthquake Haiti, by Tom Koch, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

American Journal of Public Health, Volume 107, Number 12, pp. 1851-52, December 2017 − Deadly Filth, Cartographic Deception, Trail of Victims, Microscopic Godzillas, a review of Deadly River by Tim McGirk, University of California, Berkeley.

The Tyee − independent news, culture and solutions (Vancouver, Canada), December 5, 2017 − A Christmas Prescription: 12 Books That Deliver Insights on Health - From pandemics to opioids to wildfires, authors offer important lessons, a suggestion for Deadly River, by Crawford Kilian.

GoodReads - Listopia, December 5, 2017 − Best of investigative journalism - nonfiction, inclusion of Deadly River.

Steemit, December 19, 2017 − The Deadly River - A mysterious epidemiological thriller, reviewed by Conrad Superb @conradsuperb.

Health Affairs, Volume 37, Number 1, p. 167, January 2018 − Bookmarks: Deadly River: Cholera And Cover-Up In Post-Earthquake Haiti, a review by Elisabeth Skiles, Assistant Editor.

Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Volume 30, Number 4, pp. 431-434, February 16, 2018 − Book review: Deadly river. Cholera and cover-up in post-earthquake Haiti, reviewed by Tine Hanrieder, head of the junior research group Global Humanitarian Medicine, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, WZB (WZB Berlin Social Science Center), Berlin, Germany.

New West Indian Guide, Volume 92, Issue 1-2, pp. 148-149, May, 2018. Book review: Deadly river. Cholera and cover-up in post-earthquake Haiti, reviewed by Mark Schuller, Associate Professor of Anthropology and NGO Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.

International Organizations Law Review, No. 16, pp. 11-41, January 7, 2019. Reputation and Accountability: Another Look at the United Nations’ Response to the Cholera Epidemic in Haiti, by Kristina Daugirdas, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Journal of the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology (PoLAR), pp. 1-19, January 8, 2019. Book reviews. Review Essay: The Politics of Global Health, reviewed by Crystal Biruk, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Oberlin, Ohio.

Law & Liberty, July 8, 2019. Essay: Negligence and Unaccountability at the United Nations, written by Theodore Dalrymple, pen name of British physician Anthony Malcolm Daniels, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute (New York), contributing editor of City Journal (Manhattan Institute), and author of a dozen books.

Herald-Leader (Lexington, KY), Opinion p. 7A, July 9, 2019. Opinion Essay: From plague to parrot fever, history shows inequality of medical care. Don't let it continue, Deadly River addressed by Kevin Kavanagh, MD, Chairman, Health Watch USA and American Editor, Journal of Patient Safety, Lexington, Kentucky.

Health Watch USA 2019 Conference, Lexington, KY, October 17, 2019. Truth, Lies and the Greater Good - Cholera’s Unexpected Arrival in Haiti, a keynote presentation by Ralph R. Frerichs.

Big Picture News, February 19, 2020. The UN’s Planet Saving Delusion - The UN couldn’t help Haiti recover from an earthquake. But it’s gonna rescue the planet, By Donna Laframboise, Port Dover, Canada.

Viertausendhertz podcast, May 28, 2020. Haiti – Cholera und Quarantäne - Krankheitserreger kennen keine Grenzen. Aber was bedeutet das für die Weltgemeinschaft? Wie weit reich unsere Solidarität wirklich? [ Haiti - Cholera and quarantine, Pathogens have no limits. But what does that mean for the global community? How far does our solidarity really go? ], by Laura Salm-Reifferscheidt and Kai Kupferschmidt, Berlin, Germany.

Journal of Global History, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp 394-407, November 6, 2020. Pandemics and the politics of difference: Rewriting the history of internationalism through nineteenth-century cholera., by Valeska Huber, Department of History, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany.