CHINHOYI – THE main drivers of cholera are the erratic water supply that towns
experience, sending an upsurge in cholera cases, because of lack of safe drinking
water.

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is usually found in food or water
contaminated by faeces from a person with the infection. Common sources include
municipal water supply, foods and drinks sold by street vendors.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infectious disease caused by bacteria that results in
severe watery diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and even death, if untreated.
This occurs when one consumes food or drinks water contaminated with a
bacterium, Vibrio Cholerae. However, cholera can be prevented and controlled
easily.

Mashonaland West Provincial Health and Promotions Officer, Dr George Kambondo,
said cholera takes between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms
after taking food and water which is contaminated with the cholera bacteria.

“Most of those infected have no or have mild symptoms and can be successfully
treated with oral rehydration solution. Cholera can cause death from dehydration (the
loss of water and salts from the body) within hours, if not treated.

“The signs and symptoms are watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort,
cramps in the abdomen, arms or legs, increasing dehydration leads to sunken eyes,
inability to drink or drinking poorly, skin pinch going back very slowly, shock and loss
of consciousness, said Dr Kambondo.

The Health Official added that people not showing symptoms can still spread cholera
because the bacteria is present in their faeces for one to 10 days after infection and
is fed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.

Kambondo also said that, the preventive measures for cholera are handwashing
practices with soap under safe running water, before preparing and after preparing

food. After using the toilet, wash all parts of your hands front, back and between the
fingers.

“Drink and use safe water. Make sure that you boil or treat water with chlorine or
other watery treatment chemicals, the use of toilets/pit latrines and also that they
should be kept clean, use of oral cholera vaccine,” he said.

The biggest danger of cholera, he said, is loss of fluid from the body through
diarrhoea or vomiting. The person should drink lots of fluids, such as the salt and
sugar solution made with safe water, oral rehydration solutions (ORS) which are
available from some shops, pharmacies and local clinics.

Cholera is an easily treatable disease. The majority of people can be treated
successfully through prompt administration oral rehydration solution. The World
Health Organisation/UNICEF ORS standard satchet is dissolved in one litre of clean
water, home-made sugar-salt rehydration solution is made by eight level teaspoons
of sugar and half levelled teaspoon of salt added to one litre of safe water.