Cholera
Cholera refers to a bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration in human. The primary way the spread of this disease occurs is through contaminated water. The bacteria that causes cholera interferes with the normal flow of sodium and chloride and binds itself to the small intestines. The body then starts to secrete large amounts of water, and this leads to diarrhoea and rapid loss of water and fluids. The disease calls for immediate treatment as death happens within hours after a person have been infected.
The modern sewage treatment methods play a vital role in helping to eliminate cholera in most countries. Countries that have been affected by war, poverty and natural disasters are at significant risk for the cholera outbreak. War and misery tend to force people crowding, and if the sanitation is poorly maintained, the cholera outbreak occurs. The various means through which cholera is transmitted include; inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation, insufficient hygiene. Individuals become infected with cholera from consuming food and water that have been contaminated with the faeces of infected persons.
In conclusion, cholera is a bacterial disease which spreads quickly in areas where people live in a sterile environment, especially in the peri-urban slums. Preventing cholera is mostly done through various methods which include; disinfecting water for household purposes, hand washing with soap and safe sanitation practices such as proper disposal of human waste.