Topic

Cholera

Cholera is an infectious disease that affects the intestine and is caused by a bacteria called "Vibrio cholerae," with which they come into contact through water or food contaminated with human feces.

Cholera can also be transmitted through contamination from person to person, mainly if there is an agglomeration of people and overcrowding of places, making access to clean water and adequate toilets difficult.

What are the main risk factors for cholera?

  • Poor basic sanitation conditions;
  • Water consumption without adequate treatment;
  • Poor conditions of personal hygiene;
  • Consumption of foods without adequate sanitation or handling;
  • Consumption of raw or undercooked fish and shellfish.

 

What are the most common symptoms of cholera?

Symptomatic people may present with different degrees of severity and usually start 2 to 3 days after infection.

There are always:

  • liquid diarrhea, grayish in color (like "rice water"), without blood or pus;
  • vomiting;

Abdominal pain may also happen, as well as, in the most severe forms, cramps, severe dehydration, low blood pressure, and shock, which can lead to death if not treated quickly.

 How can you confirm that a person has cholera?

Cholera can be diagnosed through a feces test, but in the situation of an outbreak, it is not necessary; a clinical exam by the doctor is enough.

What is the treatment?

The treatment consists of quick rehydration through the consumption of fluids and the solution of oral rehydration solutions (ORS), including homemade ORS or, in most severe cases, IV fluids.

The immediate replacement of fluids is a simple and effective measure and should be started immediately. With this, the death rate decreased to 1%.

See the status of care for people with cholera in your country:

The Philippines

The person with cholera is seen in provincial hospitals or medical centers. At most public hospitals, care is free if you have State health insurance or if you are indigent.

How do you prevent cholera?

The appearance of cholera is directly related to inadequate sanitation conditions, and, therefore, its prevention is based on the adoption of personal hygiene measures and the safe consumption of water and food:

  • Always wash your hands with soap and clean water, especially before preparing or eating food, after going to the bathroom, after using public transport or touching surfaces that may be dirty, after touching animals, whenever you return from the street, and before and after breastfeeding and changing diapers;
  • wash and disinfect surfaces, utensils, and equipment used in food preparation;
  • Protect food and kitchen areas from insects, pets, and other animals (keep food in closed containers);
  • Treat drinking water (after filtering, boiling, or adding two drops of a 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for each liter of water, wait for 30 minutes before using);
  • Store the treated water in clean containers with a lid, with the "opening" being narrow to avoid recontamination;
  • Do not use water from streams, rivers, waterholes, or contaminated wells for bathing or drinking;
  • Avoid the consumption of raw or undercooked foods (especially seafood) and foods whose hygienic conditions, preparation, or packaging are poor.
  • Garbage should be bagged, and the garbage can lid should always be closed. When there is no garbage collection, it must be buried in an appropriate place.
  • Always use the toilet, but if this is not possible, always bury the feces away from watercourses. Keep a distance of at least 200 feet or 60 meters, choose places with vegetation and black or organic soil, dig the hole approximately 15 cm or 01 hand-deep; avoid sandy or clay soils; put a stone over the covered hole.

Important: Currently there is a vaccine for cholera, however, the protection it offers is relative and in the short-term. In this sense, the above preventions should be prioritized, whenever possible, encourage proper garbage collection, perform water filtration, and avoid overcrowding.

Leader, understand more about cholera and how to prevent it in the video below. Show to families during home visits.

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