Resurgence of Cholera Has Killed 200 People in Cameroon

In a tweet posted on Thursday, August 4th by Cameroon Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie, he said that since the beginning of the October 2021 Cholera outbreak, “200 people have died out of a total of 10,322 confirmed cases.”

Cameroon is one of several West and Central African countries facing recurring Cholera outbreaks. The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 6,652 suspected cases, including 134 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 2%) between October 29, 2021, and April 30, 2022. Since the release of the WHO’s study, there have been an additional 4,000 cases detected in several African nations.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that can lead to death within hours if left untreated. The disease emerges on a regular basis in Cameroon, a central African country with a population of more than 25 million people.

According to the health minister, the outbreak has reached five of Cameroon’s ten regions, including the Littoral, which encompasses the economic center of Douala, and the Center area, which includes the capital Yaoundé.

A similar Cholera outbreak killed 66 people in Cameroon between January and August 2020.

In 2021, the WHO predicted that there were 1.3 to 4 million cases of cholera each year, with 21,000 to 143,000 deaths.

The continuous Cholera outbreaks in Cameroon can be ascribed to a number of risk factors, including the widespread distribution of Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria that causes Cholera, throughout the country, as well as restricted access to safe drinking water in some places.

Still on the Resurgence of Cholera in Cameroon…

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which can be found in contaminated water or food. It is mostly caused by a lack of access to safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation. It is a highly contagious disease that can produce severe acute watery diarrhea with significant morbidity and mortality, and it can spread quickly depending on the frequency of exposure, the exposed population, and the setting. Cholera affects both children and adults and, if left untreated, can be lethal.

After consuming contaminated food or drink, the incubation time ranges from 12 hours to five days. Most people infected with V. cholerae show no symptoms, despite the fact that the bacteria remain in their feces for 1-10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting others. The majority of those who develop symptoms have mild or moderate symptoms, whereas a minority suffer from acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration.

Cholera is a disease that can be easily treated. The majority of people can be successfully treated with prompt delivery of oral rehydration solution (ORS).

To prevent the spread of cholera, WHO recommends improving access to clean water and sanitation, as well as proper waste management, food safety measures, and hygiene behaviors.

To control cholera outbreaks and prevent cholera in high-risk areas, oral cholera vaccines should be used in conjunction with improvements in water and sanitation.

“Beware!!! Let us practice good hygiene,” Malachie encouraged.