Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated water that can be fatal within hours. A lack of adequate sewage and sanitation, poor hygiene, and close quarters exacerbate epidemics. The aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake is a classic case of these factors combining to create the conditions for a cholera epidemic.
Cholera, a bacterial disease spread through contaminated water that causes uncontrollable diarrhea and dehydration, can be fatal within hours if not treated immediately. A cholera epidemic is difficult to control once it begins because several factors must be addressed simultaneously to stop the epidemic. A cholera outbreak begins with bacteria-laden food or water being ingested and excreted. Poor hygiene exposes others to bacteria and the cycle continues. Close encounters exacerbate epidemics and make prevention more difficult.
An outbreak of cholera always begins with the presence of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes the disease. The bacteria can be found on dirty sink walls and in seafood, raw fruits, vegetables and grains. In a limited case of cholera, a person could ingest the bacteria and possibly get the disease. The bacteria would then be swept away into the sewage systems. If functioning properly, sewage systems keep excreta out of drinking water, and cholera likely won’t harm others in the area any further.
An epidemic begins when an area suffers from a lack of adequate sewage and sanitation. Feces with cholera bacteria will not be removed from the water supply in the area, but will come into contact with drinking water. Others unknowingly drink the water and are exposed to Vibrio cholerae. As they suffer from diarrhoea, the bacteria filled excreta enters the water system again and the cycle repeats.
This cycle is exacerbated when people live in extremely close quarters. Refugee camps, for example, are areas where people live in confined spaces with little or no sanitation. It is not uncommon for a cholera epidemic to sweep through such settlements.
Failure to treat cholera patients immediately is also a primary factor in an epidemic. Without treatment, victims will experience severe and continuous diarrhea. Each episode increases the risk of cholera bacteria returning to public spaces, thereby making others susceptible to the disease.
The aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake is a classic case of these factors combining to create the conditions for a cholera epidemic. The devastating earthquake destroyed sewage and sewage systems, and more than a million people were forced into tent cities after the quake destroyed entire cities. The cholera bacterium—the source of which was unknown, but officials suspected it might have come from contaminated food shipped into the country—was introduced, and a cholera epidemic quickly emerged. Crowded conditions, dirty water, lack of sanitation and minimal treatment combined to affect more than 100,000 people and cause several thousand deaths.
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