Cholera claims one in Budaka District
One person has died of cholera and nine others admitted in an Isolation Camp in Kadama health center III in Kibuku district in Eastern Uganda near Palisa.
According to Dr Ahamed Bbumba the District Health Officer for kadama district the deceased is a 28 year old woman who might have contracted the disease from the burial of a person suspected to have died of Cholera in the same district and since them the disease has been spearheading like a wild fire.
According our correspondent in the Elgon Region Waki Moses, all those admitted are from the same village.
He says that the isolation camp is a bee hive of activities as doctors labor to save the lives of the nine admitted with the Cholera virus and also stop further spread of the disease.
What is Cholera?
Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
Common sources include:
- Municipal/Tap water supplies
- Ice made from tap/municipal water
- Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
- Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes
- Raw or undercooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage
When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhea.
How is cholera spread?
Cholera germs are found in the feces (poop) of infected people.Cholera is spread when feces (poop) from an infected person gets into the water people drink or the food people eat. Cholera is not likely to spread directly from one person to another. The disease can be deadly within hours.
Symptoms of Cholera
Cholera infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe. Approximately one in ten (5-10%) infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock.
What should I do if I think a family member or I have cholera?
If you think you or a member of your family may have cholera, seek medical attention immediately. Dehydration can be rapid so fluid replacement is essential. If you have oral rehydration solution (ORS), the ill person should start taking it now; it can save a life. He or she should continue to drink ORS at home and during travel to get treatment. If you have an infant who has watery diarrhea, continue to breastfeed.
We will keep you posted on the latest developments on this story.
By Joshua Mutale And Waki Moses
