Protests against a cholera outbreak in Haiti have spread to the capital Port-au-Prince. On Thursday, demonstrators clashed with U.N. troops amidst rising public anger over the deaths of more than 1,100 people and the infection of some 17,000. Outside Haiti’s Ministry of Health, protesters called on the U.N. force to leave Haiti.

Henry Louis: “Today is an important day for us: it’s our liberation day. The United Nations is a foreign force, and we want them to leave Haiti.”

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meanwhile warns the course of the cholera outbreak in Haiti is difficult to predict. Haitians have no preexisting immunity to cholera, and conditions are ripe for its continued spread. The U.S. Special Coordinator for Haiti, Thomas Adams, said health officials are seeking to increase public awareness in Haiti that treatment is available.

Thomas Adams: “Cholera is not very hard to prevent or treat if you get it early. But we’ve got to provide the tools to treat it and make sure the people know how to use those tools and take better care of themselves. If we’re successful, the number of severe cases will decline, we won’t — they won’t overtax the government’s treatment facilities, and the death rate will drop.”