Question

write a discussion about cholera, its origin, its implication to public health and how it can be treated

Answer 1

Cholera is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae, that causes severe watery diarrhea. If untreated, this may lead to dehydration and even death. The deadly effects of the disease are due to a toxin produced by the bacteria in the small intestine, that causes the body to secrete enormous amounts of water and electrolytes.

Origin

It is transmitted through food or water contaminated by the feces of a person with the infection. Cholera is not likely to spread directly from one person to another. Its original reservoir was in the Ganges delta in India. During the 19th century, cholera spread across the world from there.

Implication to public health

There have been seven great pandemics of cholera in history. The latest outbreak occurred in Haiti in 2010, after the catastrophic earthquake that killed over 200,000 people. It was the worst case in recent history with over 665,000 cases and 8,183 deaths. Cholera settles wherever poor hygiene is practiced.

Humans are the only hosts known. It can impede development in the affected communities, by disrupting the social and economic structure. There are roughly 1.3 to 4.0 million cholera cases and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide, every year. Cholera is still an endemic in many countries and it remains as a global threat to public health.

Treatment

A combination of water sanitation and hygiene, social mobilizations, treatment, and oral cholera vaccines are used to prevent and control the disease. Cholera is an easily treatable disease with an excellent prognosis in majority of the cases. It requires an immediate treatment because the disease can be severe within hours. Treatment includes

• Rehydration using simple rehydration solution, oral rehydration salts (ORS).
• Intravenous fluids: severely dehydrated people might also need intravenous fluids.
• Antibiotics can reduce the infection.
• Zinc supplements might decrease diarrhea.