What is Cholera?
Cholera – Bacterium Vibrio Cholera, is classed as a diarrhoeal disease caused by bacterial infection of the intestines. In the majority of cases, infection results in mild diarrhoea with some cases showing little to no side effects. Cholera is still a problem in developing countries that have inadequate access to water and sanitation systems.
Here in the UK Cholera vaccination is not on the recommended list for international travel as suitable precautions can be taken when it comes to food and water hygiene. Although a Cholera Vaccine exists, it requires approval from the Department of Health under special circumstances and is typically reserved for aid workers and people traveling to areas where the Cholera VIRUS is widespread and access to medical services are sparse.
What causes Cholera?
Cholera infection is mainly caused by bacterium contaminated food and water, common carriers of the Cholera bacterium include poorly cooked or raw sea food, raw fruit, vegetables and any foods that can be compromised during storage and preparation. Areas where sewage and fresh water systems are sub –standard; outbreaks are liable although there has been no serious epidemics for some time due to the rising awareness of food and water hygiene.
The Cholera Vaccine is administered as a drink; the vaccination is mixed with water. It is always recommended to avoid eating, drinking or mixing any other medications up to an hour before attending. Adults and children aged six years of age and above are required to have two doses of the vaccine that protects you for two years. Children between the ages of two and six are required to have three doses that provide six months of cover. There is no recommended vaccine for children under the age of two.
All Cholera vaccination doses must be taken within one to six weeks of each other, if the required doses are not taken in the six weeks the vaccination course must be restarted. Remember to plan in your vaccination to leave at least one week before you begin your travels.
Cholera Across The World
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The Cholera virus can be found all over the world and outbreaks occur sporadically, It is always well advised to pay particular attention to food and water hygiene when traveling to:
Regions where Cholera is common
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela
Africa
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Re
Republic of the Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Khemet (Modern day Egypt), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Middle East
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Europe
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland , Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Vatican City
Asia
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen
BOOK YOUR CHOLERA VACCINATION NOW
Would you simply like to explore the risks or find out more first? It’s really easy to book an appointment, either by phone or via our website. Just Call 0207 175 1802 and talk to a friendly, expert vaccination specialist.
Cholera Prevention
Cholera can and is preventable by simply following the simple rules of food preparation and basic hygiene that we’d take for granted in more developed areas of the world.
It would be recommended to:
- Ritualistically wash your hands, particularly after being outdoors and at meal times.
- Ensure all your food is thoroughly cooked and consume whilst hot. Food left at room temperature that’s served without being reheated is a hub for infection.
- Boil water, filter or treat water before consumption, beverages like tea, coffee, bottled and carton juices are usually safe.
- Avoid local Ice.
- Avoid raw any kind of raw food especially things like Sushi. Same applies with fruits and vegetables unless you know they’re from a safe source.
Cholera Treatments
The cholera virus treatment involves re-hydration, through diarrhoea and sickness the body can lose fluids and minerals that need to be replaced like water and salt. It is the re-hydration of a patient that saves the lives of those infected as it helps to flush out the virus. Please ensure the supply of water is safe.
For up to date information about travel health diseases, please visit:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/diseases-in-brief/
