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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 30, 2014 12:29 PM IST
A cheap and easy to deliver oral vaccine against cholera is 86 per cent effective in preventing the infection which causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal, researchers said today. Some 1.4 billion people around the globe were at risk for cholera in 2012, according to World Health Organisation (WHO). Cholera is caused by a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, which can spread through the water supply in places where sanitation and hygiene are poor.
The study in the May 29 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine was the first to measure the effectiveness of a vaccine called Shanchol in response to a cholera outbreak under field conditions in Guinea. Previously, the vaccine had been tested only under experimental conditions in Kolkata, India.
The research in Guinea, carried out by Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres), involved more than 300,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine, administered during a cholera outbreak in 2012. It was 82 to 86 per cent effective, and carried few side effects. Read mor on Wash hands the right way; prevent diseases like cholera...
What is cholera?
Cholera is an acute infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. The disease is transmitted through contaminated water and food. When a patient's stool containing the bacteria is not properly disposed, it leads to contamination of common water bodies. Due to open defecation, various sources of water get contaminated.
Toxins produced Vibrio cholerae bacteria lead to painless, watery diarrhoea also called 'rice water stools' because of its appearance. The disease may also be associated with vomiting. Rapid loss of fluids from the body cause symptoms of mild fever, body ache, abdominal pain and cramps, lethargy and fatigue, excessive thirst, headaches, loss of elasticity of the skin, etc. The disease can ultimately cause death if not treated rapidly.
A blood or stool sample along with the symptoms of the patient helps in diagnosis. Cholera is a self-limiting condition. But the biggest risk is the possibility of the patient getting dehydrated which can lead to multi-organ failure, coma and even death. Main aim of treatment is to replace the fluid lost using oral re-hydration solutions. Depending on the severity of the condition a patient might need to be rehydrated intravenously. Antibiotics may be prescribed in patients with severe dehydration. Scientists have now figured out that cholera bugs invade our guts with the help of sialic acid, a sugar, present on the gut cells surface. The discovery can potentially pave the way for more effective treatments against the bug. Read more on Cholera: Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention...
With inputs from AFP
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