issue: hygiene
OCTOBER, 2018 | The HEALTH
Cholera ingested by
contaminated food and water
C
MSU.EDU
HOLERA is an acute diarrhea infec-
tion caused by ingestion of food
or water contaminated with the
bacterium Vibrio cholera. According to the
World Health Organisation, an estimated 1.3
to four million cases are reported world-
wide with 21 000 to 143 000 deaths due to
cholera each year.
Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur Family
Medicine specialist Dr Marieanne Sun-
dram explained that cholera is a virulent
disease that can cause severe acute watery
diarrhea.
“It takes between 12 hours and five
days for a person to show symptoms after
ingesting contaminated food or water.
“It’s an oral-fecal method of transfer.
If the person’s hygiene is not good, his
stools, and he doesn’t clean his hands after
washing and he goes out to prepare a meal
– he can transmit the infection to another
person. If you don’t have proper sanitation
and people use rivers to pass motion, that
is where if the person has cholera infec-
tion, he/she can transmit the infection to
the whole village or anyone who comes in
contact with the contaminated water and
food as well.”
Most people infected do not develop any
symptoms although the bacteria is present
in their faeces up to 10 days after infection
and are shed back into the environment,
potentially infecting other people.
Among people who develop symp-
toms, the majority have mild or moderate
symptoms, while a minority develop acute
watery diarrhea with severe dehydration
which can be fatal if left untreated.
Staph
infections
caused by
bacteria in
the skin
Kissing pets associated with zoonoses disease
PETS – they give you joy, loyalty and
sloppy kisses. But before you allow Fido
or Fluffy to climb into bed at night or
share lip space with you, know that they
can also give you zoonoses.
The most common parasitic zoono-
ses associated with dogs are caused by
hookworms and roundworms, which
in humans can cause gastro