Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases - Essay Example

"Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases" is a great example of a paper on Epidemiology. Cholera is an infectious disease characterized by severe acute watery stool. Most individuals infected by this disease often diarrhea due to the consumption of food or water containing the bacterium Vibrio cholera. This disease is a global threat that indicates poor sanitation and poor development of the affected areas. It has been estimated that approximately 1.3M cases occur each year, and 21,000-143,000 deaths occur globally regarding this disease (Weil & Ryan, 2018). the disease can kill a lot of people within hours, especially if left untreated. It reoccurred in the Ganges delta (India) and spread throughout the world in the 19th Century after its Century. It has affected many continents, and it is currently an endemic disease in many nations. Since then, it has been treated through the administration of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and only severely affected patients can receive intravenous fluids. This paper aims to discuss the epidemiology of cholera.

Cholera is a disease that remains a public health concern after its first occurred in 1817. The cholera disease has continued to reoccur in 1829, 1852, 1863, 1881, 1889, and 1961. This has affected all individuals of the globe in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia. It has continued to reoccur in many nations, especially those with poor health conditions and low sanitary levels characterized by a lack of enough water. Many impoverished family households are also likely to be affected. It spreads easily through a fecal-oral route that can be directly from one person to another or in contact with contaminated water or food. Robert Koech, a scientist who separated the cholera culture, realized that the two following types of cholera make it a pandemic disease. These two groups include the O1 and O139 (https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/preventionsteps.html).

Endemic patterns of cholera have been linked to tidal intrusions of seawater and regular changing trends of the climate. While the epidemic occurrence of cholera can be associated with contamination of water reservoirs allowing the growth of V. cholerae bacterium. Infected individuals contain bacteria in their stool, and that is how it starts to spread to other individuals. The stool of asymptomatic patients can hold the virus within the first day of infection, while those who are symptomatic can contain the bacteria in fourteen days while still sick. People who live in highly populated areas with minimal sanitary conditions are likely to contaminate the stool directly or through the water of untreated sewages. That is how one is infected with the Vibrio cholera bacteria. Poor food handling behaviors and cultural practices like washing the diseased and mass food gatherings, overcrowding, and poor hygiene are also potential factors that can increase cholera spread.

The highest cholera cases since its emergency were reported in 2017 with 1.3M cases and 5,654 deaths. Yemen has significantly affected recording about 84% cases and 41% deaths (Ganesan et al., 2020). However, some countries do not report incidents of infectious diseases such as cholera because of the fear that it would affect tourism, hospitality, and other export sectors. This disease has affected most parts of Asia as compared to other continents in the world today. The occurrence of cholera in Asia was caused by the E1 Tor strain that replaced the classical type that occurred in the 1960s. The current strain was characterized by an unknown serogroup marked as O139Bengal. This strain was not easily distinguished from other stains in terms of its clinical features, and it took a lot of time to design its treatment criteria. This led to an increased spread in India, Bangladesh, and other parts of the continent. Cholera has been on the increase in Yemen. This has been attributed to the increased conflict leading to the destruction of health and water infrastructural facilities. The country has also experienced shortages of food, fuel, and poor sanitation leading to an increase in famine that has caused undernutrition in the region. There have been increased cases of this disease, especially in southern Asia. Still, many governments have made efforts to reduce the disease's occurrence by promoting sustainable hygiene and adequate food and water.

The occurrence of cholera has not been so significant in many places in America. Only, Haiti has been the most significant affected area. The El Nino and hurricanes in many American states would increase the chances of cholera occurrence, mainly if it had occurred previously. The higher economic rates among individuals and financial advances have reduced the chances of reoccurrence. The Haiti cholera pandemic was led by its residents' weak immunity, poor living conditions, poor sanitation, lack of enough water, and hygiene deficiencies. This has been mainly caused by natural disasters and making it difficult to control because natural disasters are challenging to predict. Africa has also been significantly affected by the occurrence of cholera. By 2017, it reported approximately 179,835 cases, with 3,220 deaths (Deen et al., 2020). The most challenging and risk factor in African states is the increased level of poverty, poor sanitation, and lack of adequate infrastructure.

Many individuals who suffer from cholera are characterized by the elasticity of the skin, hypotension, and a high heartbeat. They can also feel thirst due to excess rice watery stool. This disease can be prevented by advising individuals to drink and use safe and clean water to prepare food. Promote hygiene by encouraging the culture of washing hands with soap and water. The feces should be buried, and latrines hygiene should be maintained. Sewages should be well treated, and adequate infrastructure and sanitation should be considered for maximum sanitation services. Families should keep cooked food properly by covering it and encouraging the habit of washing fruits before consumption. Some individuals are susceptible to bacteria. Three vaccines have been developed to treat cholera, and the oral administration of ORS has been widely used with the giving of zinc.