A Look at Cholera

Welcome back and today we look at cholera. We know since the outbreak we have sadly lost lives and other patients still in need of proper care and treatment. Cholera is a waterborne disease and it is important to ensure that our drinking water and domestic uses is clean and treated from contaminations. Karibuni sana as we look deeper into what cholera is.

Cholera is a disease that causes dehydration, diarrhea and can lead to death and it is sweeping through countries worldwide. After years of a decline in numbers, the world has seen an upsurge in this waterborne disease over the past years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is a highly contagious disease that affects both children and adults. Symptoms can appear anywhere between 12 hours and 5 days after the consumption of contaminated food or water. Experts say cholera can be prevented by ensuring access to clean water, basic sanitation and hygiene. However, over 1.7 billion people still do not have access to basic sanitation services such as private toilets. Health authorities are racing to contain the outbreak of Cholera that is spreading in countries worldwide. The unprecedented rise in cases has forced a shift in vaccine strategy. Kenya has become one of the latest countries to report an outbreak of Cholera. Health officials in the country have recorded at least 61 cases of the disease in six regions including in the capital Nairobi. The World Health Organization (WHO) says since January this year, at least 29 countries have reported outbreaks including 13 countries that did not have outbreaks last year and in the previous five years, fewer than 20 countries on average.  Experts say cholera cases have surged worldwide this year, especially in places of poverty and conflict. With climate change and the warming of certain water places and Deltas in the world, bacteria can multiply much faster and this is why also we have a much bigger outbreak in places in the world and this is why it's so important first to look at cholera as a global issue. It’s very important to understand that if we can prevent outbreaks in places where the cha is in the environment, we will have a much better control on the risk.

Cholera is an acute diarrhea infection that can cause fatal dehydration. It is spread by the ingestion of food or water infected with vibrio cholera bacteria. Health officials in Cameroon say several hundred cholera cases have been detected on the country's Northern border with Nigeria with at least 17 people dead. An outbreak in Malawi that has spread in 22 districts has killed over 100 people. Eight agencies are sounding the alarm on a growing outbreak in Haiti with more than 600 suspected or confirmed cases in the area surrounding the capital Port-au-Prince. The disease has infected and killed people in countries like Syria and Lebanon. With the outbreaks of Cholera worldwide WHO has reported a shortage of Cholera vaccine doses forcing a temporary shift to a one-dose strategy since 2013. WHO, UNICEF medicine some Frontier and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies have jointly managed the global stockpile of Cholera vaccines to help control the epidemic. However, the current wave of outbreaks is putting unprecedented pressure on the stockpile. As a result, the four agencies have decided to suspend the two-dose strategy in favor of a Wonder strategy so that more people can receive some protection from limited stocks. The Wonder strategy has proven effective in previous outbreaks although evidence on how long protection lasts is limited, WHO says a few million doses of vaccines are available for use before the end of this year partly due to a shortage of manufacturers. Foreign Abdullahi resident doctor with the National Hospital in Abuja Nigeria tells us more about cholera, and that it can manifest within 12 hours of contact so from 12 hours to five days averagely one to two days.

Another thing that makes it so contagious is it has some genetic materials that will allow it to attach into the intestine cells and therefore it can replicate in millions. it can replicate and one can be excreting it out when you excrete and other people can pick it through contact with you or contact with your excrete.  Usually it's settled down in water and food. Cholera results from the flooding which gets water contaminated. When it occurs, early identification maybe from how it manifests, like loose diarrhea then to the laboratory diagnosis to confirm whether it is a cholera or not. If a cholera case is confirmed, treatment with IV fluids mostly referred to as darker solution should be given to the patient but in absence of that the most common one that is always available is ORS (oral rehydration solution). It is very important if you have this IV fluid with antibiotic and ORS so it can be controlled.

For prevention, it is important to have a safe supply of water for the community and also have personal hygiene. Another way of preventing cholera is through vaccines. There is about three vaccines that are available for cholera so one supposed to take at least two doses for it to be effective. You should you’re your drinking water even if you are getting it directly from the river or you can add some chlorine in it to kill the cholera in the water. People should also be sensitized about waste management and the importance of using latrines. The most important thing in preventing cholera is proper hygiene and cleanliness. Drinking should be boiled or treated using chlorine. Remember that cleanliness and staying healthy starts with you. Thank you for your continued support and let us keep engaging. Bye bye.

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