Millions of people died in the 1800s due to the cholera epidemic. The gradual increase in cholera cases in Malawi, which did not pose a great risk for years, caused fear all over the world. According to the data of the Malawi Ministry of Health, 12 people died in the last 24 hours in the cholera epidemic that broke out in March 2022, and 626 new cases were detected.
ATTENTION TO SYMPTOMS OF cholera
While the total number of cases increased to 29 thousand 995 in the country of approximately 20 million people, the number of people who lost their lives was 1002. Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda called on the public to pay attention to hygiene rules and use clean water. Cholera, an infectious small intestine disease caused by the bacterium “Vibrio cholerae”, can manifest itself with symptoms such as watery diarrhea, vomiting and muscle cramps in the infected person.
THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WITH CHOLERA IS INCREASING
Cholera cases, which have been decreasing for years as a result of the measures of global health institutions and governments, have started to become widespread again due to reasons such as climate change, poverty and conflicts. According to the data of the World Health Organization (WHO), while the number of countries with cholera cases worldwide from 2017 to 2021 was below 20, cholera epidemics were seen in 26 countries only in 2022.
WHERE DOES COLERA CONTAIN?
- Pollution of consumed water resources
- Animals hunted in polluted waters
- Fruits and vegetables grown in waters mixed with human waste
- Shellfish such as oysters or crab that are consumed raw
- It is seen in countries where siphon use is not common.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT OF cholera?
After the diagnosis of cholera, treatment should be started immediately. The most important reason why cholera is fatal is that it causes dehydration in the body. For this reason, with the diagnosis of the disease, it is necessary to immediately start the treatment as prescribed by the physician.
In the treatment of cholera disease, the priority is to restore the fluid lost by the patient to the body. Liquids containing a mixture of sugar and salt are given to the patient as serum. In addition to serum therapy, various antibiotics are also used in the treatment of cholera.
(AA)