Madhya Pradesh
Cholera Outbreak
- 15 Jun 2024
- 1 min read
Why in News?
Recently, panic struck the town of Phoop in Bhind district after a sudden cholera outbreak, which reportedly resulted in three deaths and at least 70 people falling ill from drinking contaminated water.
Key Points
- Cholera, a water-borne disease primarily caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae strains O1 and O139, poses a significant public health challenge worldwide.
- Strain O1 is the predominant cause of outbreaks, with O139 occurrences being rare and mostly confined to Asia.
- It is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine.
- The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe.
- Symptoms include Profuse watery diarrhoea, Vomiting, Leg cramps.
- A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
- The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
- Currently, there are three WHO pre-qualified oral cholera vaccines (OCV): Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus. All three vaccines require two doses for full protection.
- A global roadmap to 2030, with a target to reduce cholera deaths by 90% was launched in 2017.
