A fast-spreading cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sparked major health concerns. Know about its causes, symptoms, and the urgent steps needed to control the disease.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently facing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent years. The illness is rapidly spreading in a number of provinces endangering the lives of thousands of people. Health officers have taken the issue seriously because cases are on the increase particularly in the regions where sanitation is negligible, access to clean water is low, and overpopulation has been experienced.
Vibrio cholerae is a pathogenic bacterium that causes Cholera. It is contracted primarily by contaminated water or food. The bacteria secrete a toxin in the intestines that results in water and salts being lost in the body in large quantities. This causes dehydration and without being attended to one can die in a few hours.
Cholera is fast spreading in the DRC; this is caused by lack of clean water supply and proper hygienic facilities. Rivers or ponds are sources of drinking water to many people, which end up being polluted with human waste. It becomes even more difficult when people are subjected to floods, displacement by conflicts, and the absence of infrastructure, which makes it even harder to keep hygiene. By taking infected water or food, the infection is transmitted within one community to another, particularly in displaced family camps.
The symptoms of cholera normally take hours to up to five days upon infection. Most prevalent ones are:
Unattended severe dehydration may result in kidney failure and shock and also cause death.
The health authorities, as well as international charitable groups, are attempting to control the outbreak. Treatment centres, including rehydration therapy, which is the primary treatment, are being established by emergency medical teams. Oral rehydration salts (ORS) and intravenous fluids are being distributed to areas. They are also conducting vaccinations in the high-risk communities.
These are such as boiling or treating or washing hands with soap and proper disposal of waste. However, due to a continued conflict and infrastructure degradation, the accessibility of all communities is an immense problem.