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The global increase in cholera cases is alarming health experts, with a sharp surge in diagnoses reportedly recorded since 2021. Cholera, a bacterial disease causing serious dehydration and diarrhea, is usually transmitted via contaminated food and water. It records around 1.3 to 4 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2022, the WHO reported approximately 473,000 cases, twice as many as the previous year, with the expected 2023 cases predicted to surpass 700,000. Countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are among the most impacted, with the disease spreading quickly due to insufficient treatment of drinking water and sewage.
Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, an expert at the Creighton University School of Medicine, attributed the increase in cases to climate change, home displacements due to disasters, and poor sanitary conditions such as substandard water sources. The outbreak is reportedly worsened by a severe shortage of vaccines. Vaccines that used to be administered in two doses are now given in one due to the dearth of supplies.
10% of cholera patients will show severe symptoms like watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps, leading to possible shock and fatal dehydration if not treated immediately. Treatment involves the immediate replacement of lost fluids and salts, often with intravenous fluids in serious cases.
Cholera patients may also require antibiotics to manage symptoms, but the availability of vaccines is alarmingly limited. Currently, there’s a surprising gap between the available vaccines and the present necessity for it, as highlighted by UNICEF. In 2022, single-dose recommendations were issued due to the ongoing shortage.
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