How to Prevent Cholera

Prevention is an intervention before the occurrence of a problem. Cholera is a problem. Therefore, it is important to know the ways on how to prevent such problem. First, before anything else, it is helpful to know what cholera is.

What is Cholera?

Cholera is an acute serious bacterial infection which is caused by the etiologic agent, Vibrio Cholerae. The said pathogen is a gram-negative bacterium and can be found in infected food or contaminated drinking water. It can also be found within vomitus or the feces of infected persons, otherwise regarded as the carriers.

Cholera is also known as El Tor. It is further characterized by a sudden onset of acute yet profuse colorless watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscular cramps, and vomiting. If remained untreated, it could lead to severe dehydration, cyanosis, and in severe cases, collapse or death. The incubation period of Vibrio Cholerae is from a few hours after the ingestion of contaminated water or food, up until five days after ingestion. However, some experts say that the incubation period actually starts three days before the signs and symptoms arise.

Who are Susceptible?

Individuals who are susceptible to cholera are those with type O blood. Those with weakened immune systems are also at risk. Moreover, people with decreased gastric acidity due to the use of antacids are also made susceptible. And, lastly, malnourished individuals are also prone to acquiring cholera.

Preventing cholera can be done simply by means of avoiding the sources of bacterial infection. Vomitus or feces-infected water and food are the sources of bacterial infection. And through the ingestion of such, the person can get infected by the Vibrio Cholerae.

What WHO Says

The World Health Organization has developed and established methods of prevention and control for cholera. Health education, water supply, environmental sanitation, personal hygiene, proper food preparation, and vaccination are contributing factors to preventing the existence of cholera.

Health education belongs to the primary level of prevention. This means that the awareness of the problem is the highlight. Health care providers orient the people about cholera by educating them on the full profile of cholera. Where and how to get infected is given emphasis in health education.

Reducing the Morbidity Rate

A clean water supply and sanitation helps lessen the morbidity rate of cholera. However, adequate sanitation of water supply must be maintained in order to achieve the goal, which is to eradicate the existence of cholera.

Water supply sanitation can be done through boiling, chlorination, ozone water treatment, ultra-violet light sterilization, anti-microbial filtration, as well as using cloth filters in all areas, especially the epidemic areas. Cloth filters are often used in poor villages where they rely on untreated surface water. Moreover, chlorination and boiling is the most common method off sanitation being used, as it is oftentimes the least expensive.

Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is also a factor in prevention. It is how the person takes good care of his or her self in order to preserve his or her health. This includes regular washing of the hands, taking a bath regularly, healthy eating, cutting the nails, and so on and so forth. If personal hygiene is maintained, even if the person has touched contaminated food or water, yet had thoroughly washed hands, Vibrio Cholerae cannot penetrate.

The Rights for Food Safety

The right source, right preparation, right cooking, and right storage of food are certain methods for ensuring food safety. Culinary hygiene, also termed as food safety, aims to prevent food contamination, prevent food poisoning, and minimize the transmission of diseases to other food items, as well as to humans.

This includes the safe ways of handling, storing, preparing, serving, and eating food. Proper food preparation is to ensure food safety and has a connection to the personal hygiene of the one who prepared the food. To achieve proper food preparation, washing the hands thoroughly before and after handling or touching the food is necessary.

The CDC's Take on All This

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, does not currently recommend vaccines to be used as prophylactics. On the other hand, there are two safe and effective oral cholera vaccines commercially available in some countries.

Thus, among the types of cholera prevention, health education is the priority. It has an umbrella effect. Once the people have been educated about cholera, other prevention methods follow, such as proper water sanitation, preservation of food safety, proper personal hygiene, and much more.