Cholera: A Communicable Disease

Communicable Disease: Cholera
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Communicable Disease: Cholera
Cholera
Cholera is a severe communicable disease characterized by severe dehydration. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is an acute enteric infection that appears in individuals who have consumed contaminated water or food. Disrupted or destroyed environmental infrastructures facilitate the progression of the disease particularly when such situations imply inadequate safe water for drinking and lack of proper sanitation. The person ingests bacterium Vibrio cholerae leading to associated health complications. WHO (2019) estimates annual cholera cases to be about 1.3 to 4 million. Out of these figures, 21,000 to 143,000 casualties are encountered. Its short incubation period implies that when one dies if they are unable to attain treatment sooner.
Efforts to Control it
Most cholera episodes are of moderate or mild severity. It is only very few cases that escalate to extreme severity. The goal of any outbreak is to mitigate against possible mortality. In this regard, proper and timely case management should be established promptly in treatment centers. Experts who are attuned to proper case management ought to be availed in the scene. They can help people avoid nosocomial infections. Moreover, pre-positioned medical supplies facilitate the success of the process. A diarrheal disease kit is a fundamental element. At this point, vector control, proper waste management, effective sanitation, and improved access to water are important. Food safety practices and enhanced hygiene should be promoted. Communication geared to advance public knowledge should be promoted.
Environmental Factors
Poor environmental conditions are closely linked to cholera. In this case, an acute shortage of safe water advances the course of the disease. A great proportion of affected areas have poor sanitation apparent in many African countries and particularly, slums. Slums and camps have scarce pit latrines signifying the marauding nature of the disease in these locations (Rebaudet, Sudre, Faucher, & Piarroux, 2013). Poor waste management catalyzes the spread of the disease. In the coastal regions, around lakes, and rivers, temperatures, salinity, rainfall, sea surface height, and nutrient availability harbor the right conditions for the multiplication of the causing bacteria (Xu, Cao, Wang, & Kan, 2015). Overcrowded settings such as urban slums and refugee camps need to be equipped with necessary infrastructures if they are to survive any cholera ordeals.
Influence of Lifestyles, Socioeconomic Status, and Disease Management
The discussion earlier highlights essentially the role of socioeconomic variables in the relative vulnerability of various groups to cholera. In cases of extreme poverty, people are unable to access adequate food, clean water, safe housing, and healthcare. When this is the case, these people are at a greater risk of contracting cholera than middle income-earning families. People with higher income can attain safe housing, adequate sanitation, promote better hygiene practices, and have access to clean water (Henschel, 2013). On the other hand, migration and human movement, as well as natural disaster...