outbreaks of cholera A state of panic all over the worldThe disease has reappeared in various Bekaa, in particular in Syria and Lebanon, where the Minister of Health has raised the alarm for the outbreak of the disease in the country, given that the number of infected has reached about 169 in just two weeks.
As stated by the World Health Organization, Outbreak of cholera in 10 governorates of Syriaand in Iraq and Yemen, as well as in Kenya, where cholera outbreaks have occurred in 6 districts.
But what are the symptoms of cholera? And when does it appear?
According to the World Health Organization, cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, most often caused by ingesting contaminated water or consuming contaminated food.
It usually takes 7 to 14 days for cholera to become infected, but the disease can lead to patient death within hours if left untreated, especially for those with weak immune systems.
The symptoms of cholera are as follows:
Acute watery diarrhea, which takes between 12 hours and 5 days for symptoms to appear on a person after eating contaminated food or water.
Most people infected with cholera show no symptoms, although the bacteria are present in the stool for 1-10 days after infection, so they are released into the environment and can infect other people.
Most people infected with cholera have mild or moderate symptoms, while a minority of them develop acute watery diarrhea accompanied by severe dehydration, which leads to death.
Science replies that cholera affects both children and adults and can kill them within hours if left untreated.
What are the causes of cholera?
Transmission of cholera is closely related to lack of access to clean water and sanitation, so cholera is more common in slums and camps for IDPs or refugees.
A multi-pronged plan is key to controlling cholera and reducing its deaths, through a combination of surveillance, water supply, sanitation, hygiene, social mobilization, treatment and oral cholera vaccines.
A child suffering from cholera receives treatment in a hospital in Deir ez-Zor (AFP Archive)
A woman suffering from cholera receives treatment in a hospital in Deir ez-Zor (AFP Archive)
A woman takes her child suspected of having cholera to a hospital in Hasaka (Reuters archive)
cholera vaccine
Treatment of cholera cases requires intravenous vaccination and antibiotics, as cholera is an easy-to-treat disease and the treatment of most people with it can be successful if oral rehydration solutions are given, which are dissolved in water, and an adult patient may need up to 6 liters of This solution is used to treat mild dehydration on the first day of cholera.
Vaccination alone is not enough to avoid cholera disease, attention should also be paid to improvements in water supply and sanitation to control and prevent cholera outbreaks in high-risk areas.
As for patients suffering from severe dehydration, intravenous fluids should be injected rapidly and appropriate antibiotics administered to reduce the duration of diarrhea and reduce the amount withdrawn from the necessary rehydration fluids, avoiding excessive administration of antibiotics in large quantities, as they have no proven effects. To combat the spread of cholera and can help increase its resistance to antimicrobials.
Zinc is also an important adjuvant therapy for children under the age of five, as it shortens the duration of their diarrhea and can prevent future attacks from other causes of acute watery diarrhea.
Treatment of cholera at home
Cholera can be prevented by:
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the bathroom, and in the absence of soap you can use alcohol.
* Drink only safe water, which is safe from its source.
* Stay away from ready-made foods as much as possible and be careful about eating cooked foods.
