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 What is cholera?
What
should I do if I think I may have cholera?
Where
are the outbreaks of cholera?
Do
vaccinations work against cholera?
What can
I do to avoid cholera?
What
is cholera?
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal
disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. A person can become infected by drinking
contaminated water or eating food contaminated by the bacterium. Common
sources of infection are raw or poorly cooked seafood, raw fruit and
vegetables, and other foods that have been contaminated during preparation or
storage.
Most
episodes of cholera are mild. Persons who have been infected may have no
symptoms or only mild diarrhoea. Others, however,
develop very severe watery diarrhoea and vomiting.
The loss of large amounts of fluids can rapidly lead to severe dehydration
causing death - sometimes within three to four hours - if the patient is not
adequately treated.
What should I do if I
think I may have cholera?
If you have diarrhoea,
especially severe diarrhoea, in an area where there
is cholera, seek treatment immediately from a
physician or other trained health care provider. Begin drinking water and
other non-sweetened fluids, such as soup, on the way to getting medical
treatment.
The
most important treatment of cholera is called rehydration
and consists of prompt replacement of the water and salts lost through severe
diarrhoea and vomiting. Early rehydration
can save the lives of nearly all patients with cholera. Most patients can be rehydrated quickly and simply with a solution of oral rehydration slats (ORS). Packets of these salts are
available from most city pharmacies, hospitals and dispensaries and you
should carry a supply with you when you travel. Follow the instructions on
the packet when making up the solution. The solution is drunk in large
quantities, sufficient to replace what has been lost from diarrhoea
and vomiting.
Patients
who become severely dehydrated may need to receive fluid intravenously. An
effective antibiotic can also help to shorten the illness in patients with
severe cholera. Antidiarrhoeal medicines, such as loperamide, are not recommended, and should never be
given.
Where
are the outbreaks of cholera?
Today,
cholera is present in many countries. New outbreaks can occur sporadically in
any part of the world where water supplies, sanitation, food safety and
hygiene practices are inadequate. The inhabitants of overpopulated
communities with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water supplies are most
frequently affected. For information on whether there is cholera in the area
where you will be travelling, contact your health
care provider or local office of public health.
Do vaccinations work against
cholera?
The
traditional injectable cholera vaccine conveys
incomplete, unreliable protection of short duration and its use, therefore,
is not recommended. However, two oral cholera vaccines that provide high
level protection for several months against cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae
01 have recently become available in a few countries for use by travellers. No country requires proof of cholera
vaccination as a condition for entry and the International Certificate of
Vaccination no longer provides a specific space for recording of cholera
vaccination. WHO do not recommend vaccination as it may give a false sense of
security to vaccinated subjects and to health authorities, who may then
neglect more effective measures.
What can I do to avoid cholera?
By taking a few basic precautions cholera as well as
most other food and water-borne diseases can easily be prevented. The main
rule is: Always be aware of the quality of what you eat and drink when you
are travelling.
Drink only water that has been boiled or
disinfected with chlorine, iodine or other suitable products. Products
for disinfecting water are generally available in pharmacies, hospitals and
dispensaries. Beverages such as hot tea or coffee, wine, beer, carbonated
water or soft drinks, and bottled or packaged fruit juices are also usually
safe to drink
Avoid ice, unless you are sure that it is
made from safe water.
Eat food that has been thoroughly cooked
and is still hot when served. Cooked food that has been held at room
temperature for several hours and served without being reheated can be an
important source of infection.
Avoid raw seafood and other raw foods,
except fruits and vegetables that you have peeled or shelled yourself.
Remember: Cook it, peel it, or leave it.
Boil unpasteurized
milk before drinking it.
Ice cream from unreliable sources is
frequently contaminated and can cause illness. If in doubt, avoid it.
Be sure that meals bought from street vendors
are thoroughly cooked in your presence and do not contain any uncooked foods.
Infants
under six months who are breast-fed, and receive no
other foods or drinks, have a low risk of infection. They should continue to
be breast fed.
For more Information, Contact your
Physician or other Health Care Provider
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