Cholera is one of the most terrible diseases in human history.
In the last few years, there has been a decrease in incidence , however, in 2023 everything changed. WHO annually monitors data on morbidity, but the number of outbreaks of cholera this year is alarming.
Radio Liberty writes about this.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released updated data on September 24 showing that the number of cholera cases worldwide has more than doubled over the past year.
Some 470,000 cases were reported in 2022, according to WHO , which is a significant increase from 220,000 cases last year.
However, WHO experts said that information on the situation is still insufficient, and according to preliminary estimates, the organization predicts from 1.3 to 4 million diseases and up to 143,000 deaths annually.
According to the WHO, Afghanistan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria were particularly hard hit in a year due to cholera outbreaks in their territories.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. According to researchers, from 1.3 to 4 million people suffer from cholera every year in the world, of which 21 – 143 thousand are fatal.
How is it transmitted
< p>Cholera is caused by consuming food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. Typically, the bacteria are carried in the feces of an infected person and spread quickly in areas with poor sanitation or inadequate wastewater treatment.
If the disease is not treated promptly, cholera can kill a person within hours. However, in most infected people the disease is mild, complications occur in about one in ten.
Symptoms of cholera
Most infected people do not develop any symptoms . When they occur, they are mostly mild or moderate. A minority may still develop acute watery diarrhea, which will lead to severe dehydration.
Preventing cholera
Scientists believe that the most effective way to prevent the disease is vaccination. However, if there is not enough vaccine supply, other important recommendations should be followed:
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