Symptoms and preventive measures of cholera
Goa has been witnessing a surge in anger cases. Three new cases have been reported from the Cutbona jetty, taking the total to 175 cases. A TOI report says that out of these, 139 were from the Cutbona side and 36 from the Mobor side, where the outbreak is reported to have started. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said, “For the health department to declare the outbreak over, there should be no cases for two weeks at a stretch.”
The South Goa District Hospital has five patients and the Goa Medical College (GMC) also has several patients referred for severe dehydration, kidney damage, need for dialysis, etc.
The cholera outbreak also claimed the lives of five migrant workers, two of whom were brought back dead. As the workers’ health deteriorated when the ships were at sea, they were shifted to a health facility late, according to the TOI report.
The health department had distributed medical kits with antibiotics, paracetamol and other medicines besides oral rehydration salts to the boat owners. MP Velim Cruz Silva said that each fishing boat has a minimum of 35 workers and cholera can spread easily. He appealed to the boat owners to seek medical attention immediately for their workers otherwise their condition would worsen and the infection would spread. He further said that they could also spread the infection to the local population.
Cholera is a disease transmitted through contaminated food or water. It can cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration and, if left untreated, can be fatal. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are between 1.3 and 4 million cases of cholera each year and between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths worldwide due to the disease.
Thanks to modern water and sewage treatment systems, cholera has been eliminated in industrialized countries, but it still exists in Africa, Southeast Asia and Haiti. The risk of cholera is high in situations of poverty, war or natural disasters, when people are forced to live in crowded conditions.
Symptoms of cholera
Here we will take a look at some of the common symptoms of cholera infection.
- Diarrhea: Cholera-related diarrhea can come on suddenly and cause rapid fluid loss.
- Nausea and vomiting: Vomiting occurs especially in the early stages of cholera and can last for hours.
- Dehydration: Dehydration can develop within the next few hours. cholera symptoms begin and vary from mild to severe.
- Irritability, fatigue, sunken eyes, dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry and wrinkled skin.
- Due to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance can occur which can cause the following symptoms.
- Muscle cramps: This happens when there is a rapid loss of salts from the body.
- Shock: This is one of the most serious complications of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the body.
Preventive measures against cholera
- Clean water: Make sure you have access to safe drinking water. Also, treat or boil it before use. Avoid contaminated water sources.
- Sanitation: Use adequate wastewater disposal systems. Avoid open defecation to prevent contamination of water supplies.
- Wash your hands: Wash your hands frequently with soap, especially after using the bathroom and before handling food.
- Food hygiene: Cook food thoroughly and eat it hot. Avoid raw or undercooked seafood and street food in areas where there are cholera outbreaks.
- Rehydration solutions: Keep oral rehydration salts (ORS) on hand to prevent dehydration if you become ill.
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