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Open defecation | Credit: DA News
Following the current cholera outbreak in 30 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, many of which have recorded fatalities, with Lagos State alone recording 15 deaths in a few days, there is a need for deliberate sensitization and awareness about the disease.
Cholera is a highly contagious food and water-borne disease. It spreads through direct transmission by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, and indirect transmission due to poor sanitation and lack of hand washing habit. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.
Symptoms of cholera include acute, painless watery diarrhoea of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting, and fever.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions are fundamental in preventing and responding to cholera epidemics. Safe water supplies, hygienic sanitation, and effective water management are key elements in this effort.
Increasing access to safe drinking water, improving sanitation and hygiene, and better water management can prevent almost one-tenth of the global disease burden.
Community access to sanitation, like simple latrines, prevents drinking water contamination from human waste, reducing infections.
Cholera Causes
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is usually found in food or water contaminated by faeces from a person with the infection. Common sources include:
Municipal water supplies, especially from broken pipes
Ice made from municipal water
Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes
Raw or undercooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage
When a person consumes contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhea.
Cholera Symptoms
Symptoms of cholera can begin as soon as a few hours or as long as five days after infection. Often, symptoms are mild but can become very serious. About one in 20 people infected have severe watery diarrhea accompanied by vomiting, which can quickly lead to dehydration. Although many infected people may have minimal or no symptoms, they can still contribute to the spread of the infection.
Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:
Rapid heart rate
Loss of skin elasticity (the ability to return to original position quickly if pinched)
Dry mucous membranes, including the inside of the mouth, throat, nose, and eyelids
Low blood pressure
Thirst
Muscle cramps
If not treated, dehydration can lead to shock and death in a matter of hours.
Cholera Prevention and Treatment
There is a vaccine for cholera. Both the CDC and the World Health Organization have specific guidelines for who should be given this vaccine.
You can protect yourself and your family by using only boiled water, water that has been chemically disinfected, or bottled water. Be sure to use bottled, boiled, or chemically disinfected water for the following.
To disinfect your water, boil it for one minute (or 3 minutes at higher elevations) or filter it and use a commercial chemical disinfectant. You should also avoid raw foods, including the following:
Unpeeled fruits and vegetables
Unpasteurized milk and milk products
Raw or undercooked meat or shellfish
Fish caught in tropical reefs, which may be contaminated
Wash your hands with soap and water regularly, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food or eating.
Vaccination for cholera
There’s a vaccine for cholera, but most people do not need it.
It’s usually only recommended if :
You’re traveling to an area where cholera is common and you’ll be visiting remote places without access to medical care you’re an aid or disaster relief worker going to an area where a cholera outbreak is likely
The vaccine is given as a drink. For adults, 2 doses (given 1 to 6 weeks apart) can provide protection for up to 2 years.
Symptoms of cholera include:
Having lots of watery diarrhea, feeling sick, or being sick
Tummy pain, dehydration
Treatment for cholera
The main treatment for cholera is drinking plenty of fluids, including rehydration solution.
A rehydration solution is a powder you mix with water to replace salts, sugars, and minerals your body has lost through diarrhoea. It’s usually available from pharmacies.
If you’re very unwell, you may need treatment in a hospital where you may be treated with fluids given through a vein. All General hospitals in Lagos State treat cholera patients without charge.
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