Published StoriesThe Conversation Africa

Cholera – a public menace

DETERRENT: A woman swallows an oral cholera vaccine given to her by an MSF (Doctors without Borders) medic, in Juba, South Sudan. The writer says vaccination should be used to complement rather than replace other control strategies. It prevents about two-thirds of infections. Picture: AFP

 

Cholera has killed millions and remains a major threat to public health. The Conversation Africa’s Health and Medicine Editor Joy Wanja Muraya asked Dr Moses Masika to explain the nature of the disease and how it can be treated.

What is cholera? What is its history? 

Cholera is an acute illness of the small intestine caused by a bacterium known as Vibrio cholerae.

It’s not a new disease: cholera has afflicted mankind for thousands of years. In the 19th century it spread from India to Asia, Europe and Africa because of trade and international travel.

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