• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Issues that matter
    • COVID-19 in India
    • Inadequate safe drinking water
    • Poor sanitation
    • Environmental health
    • Infectious disease
      • Hepatitis C
    • Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)
    • Malnutrition
    • High infant mortality
    • Mental health
    • Sex and gender discrimination
  • Special Focus
    • Interviews
      • Exclusive Interviews
      • Readers Interviews
    • Vaccine Hesitancy
  • News
  • PandemiCast
  • Partner’s Press Office

Health Issues India

Health issues in India

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Editorial Team
  • Subscribe
  • Contribute
  • Sponsor
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Featured / Cholera: under-estimated and under-reported in India

Cholera: under-estimated and under-reported in India

December 11, 2015 By Shikha Nayyar Leave a Comment

According to this ICMR analysis paper on cholera, the incidence of the disease occurs over a wider geographic area in India than was previously recognized. The annual number of cholera cases reported to WHO by the government was several times lower than the numbers they obtained through strains received at the phage typing unit.Caused by bacteria, cholera is spread through contaminated water, and it kills by dehydrating victims through diarrhoea and vomiting.The WHO says about 100,000 people die worldwide from cholera each year. It is a rough estimate. Some countries do not report cases and victims often die in isolated rural communities, the cause of their deaths unrecorded.

The Indian subcontinent is vulnerable to this disease due its vast coastlines with areas of poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water and overcrowding. Climatic conditions also play a major role in the persistence and spread of cholera.In August of this year, as reported in The Indian Express- Chandigarh, cholera cases shot up to 26 in different areas.

As a WHO Collaborating Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research and Training, the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata, West Bengal, India, receives about 1000 to 1500 strains of Vibrio cholerae every year from about 30 to 40 institutions from India and a few from outside the country for biotyping, serotyping and phage typing. (2007 figures)  This may have been due to lack of surveillance as well as proper laboratory support and, therefore, the burden of cholera in India is underestimated . Data from population-based diarrhoea surveillance in an endemic area of Kolkata, India, revealed a cholera incidence of 2.2 cases per 1000 person-years in 2012. The study’s findings indicated that cholera is an under-recognized problem in India.

One of the oral vaccines, Shanchol has been approved by the  WHO and the Gates Foundation has weighed in forcefully to promote its use. Among other steps, the foundation has pumped about $20 million into Shanchol and helped jumpstart manufacturing of the vaccine in India.Helen Matzger, senior program officer at the Gates Foundation feels that the decision to promote the vaccine made sense. However, the vaccine does have its drawbacks as it must be administered in two doses, two weeks apart, which can be a difficult task in an emergency. The vaccine only cuts a person’s risk of contracting the disease by an average of 50 percent to 65 percent over two years. After that, a recipient’s immunity drops even further.

In 2013, there was a cholera outbreak in a village in south India . According to this paper in the Journal of Infection and Public Health, timely action saved many lives.A household and sanitary survey, water samples and stool examination were conducted.Causes and risk factors of the outbreak were identified and immediate suitable action taken. The timely diagnosis and interventions resulted in zero deaths in spite of high attack rates of cholera. This paper articulates that this model can be used in any rural areas to prevent deaths and recurrence in cholera outbreaks.

Cholera Pandemic Timeline:

1817 – The first pandemic begins in India, where cholera has existed for centuries.

1820 – More than 100,000 people die on the island of Java in Indonesia.

1821 – In Basra, Iraq approximately 18,000 people die in a three week period.

1829 – The second pandemic begins in India.

1830 – Cholera reaches Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

1832 – In June, more than 1,000 people die in Quebec, Canada .

1852 – The third pandemic begins in India-  the deadliest of the seven pandemics.

1854 – More than 23,000 people in Great Britain die, in the worst year of the pandemic.

1863 – The fourth pandemic begins in India.

1877-1879 – Approximately 90,000 people die in Japan.

1881 – The fifth pandemic begins in India.

1884 – The disease kills more than 5,000 in Naples, Italy.

1885 – More than 60,000 people die in two Spanish provinces.

1893-1894 – Approximately 200,000 people die in Russia.

1899 – The sixth pandemic begins in India.

1907-1908 – More than 20,000 pilgrims die oduring the Haj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

1923 – The sixth pandemic ends , cholera disappears except India.

1961 – The seventh pandemic begins on the Indonesian island of Celebes.

1970s – Cholera reaches Africa for the first time in 70 years.

1991 – The disease appears in Latin America (Peru) and approx 3,000 people die.

1994 – Cholera breaks out in Rwandan refugee camps near Goma, Zaire. Tens of thousands of people die within a month.

2008-2009 – An estimated 4,200 people die in Zimbabwe.

October 2010 – Cholera breaks out in Haiti, and more than 6,600 die within a year.

July 2012 – Cholera breaks out in Cuba for the first time in more than 100 years.

August 28, 2012 – Cuba’s government declares the cholera outbreak that inflected 417 and killed three, eradicated.

May 22, 2013 – Haiti reports 657,117 cases of cholera and 8,096 deaths since the 2010

2013 – An outbreak in Mexico leads to 159 confirmed cases of cholera.

 

Filed Under: Featured

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Articles

  • Renewed fears of a bird flu pandemic; The latest health stories from around the world
  • More oversight needed for “gain of function” research says expert panel; The latest health stories from around the world
  • Marion Biotech to be investigated by Indian drug regulator
  • Sesame to be added to list of major food allergens
  • Approval of Alzheimer’s drug “rife with irregularities”

Footer

Archives

Issues that matter

  • Environmental health
  • Inadequate safe drinking water
  • Poor sanitation
  • Infectious disease
  • Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)
  • Malnutrition
  • High infant mortality

Categories

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie settingsACCEPTACCEPT ALL
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.