Cholera

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Medical Emergency Condition

And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

• Severe dehydration
• Kidney failure (if have any sort of kidney condition- do not wait)
• Low potassium levels (hypokalaemia)
• Metabolic acidosis
• Low blood pressure
• Shock:
  • Rapid heart rate (rapid pulse)
  • Rapid breathing
  • Dilated pupils
  • Pale, cool skin
  • Sweating (diaphoresis)
  • Yawning
• If shock occurs (whilst awaiting for an ambulance):
  • Lay the person down (if their injuries allow it) and raise and support their legs
  • Use a coat or blanket to keep them warm, but do not cover their face or the burnt area
  • Do not give them anything to eat or drink

  • How to Treat Shock

• If one has this condition phone the medical doctor practice rather than visiting the practice as one may spread it to others.
• An infected person should stay away from work or school at least 48 hours after last attack of vomiting or diarrhoea.
• Do not touch your face with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with infected people
• Avoid close contact with people who are already ill
• Do not share towels and utensils, dishes , drinking glasses
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• After an illness, clean surfaces that may have the virus on them with detergent and chlorine bleach.
• Don’t prepare any food for other people until at least 2 or 3 days after diarrhea/vomiting stops.
• Don’t eat food that is prepared by someone who is ill with diarrhea/vomiting.
• Stay home and away from other people when ill.
• One should reconsider to keeps pets if one has a weak immune system this includes when there are young children, pregnant women and elderly persons over 65 years old.
• How to wash Hands
• Diarrhoea advice
• How to prevent food poisoning

General tips

Take the following steps to avoid passing the illness on to others:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after going to the toilet.
• Stay away from work or school until you’ve been completely free from any symptoms for at least 48 hours.
• Help young children to wash their hands properly.
• Don’t prepare food for others until you’ve been symptom free for at least 48 hours.
• Don’t go swimming until you’ve been symptom free for at least 48 hours.
• Where possible, stay away from other people until your symptoms have stopped.
• Wash all dirty clothes, bedding and towels on the hottest possible cycle of the washing machine.
• Clean toilet seats and toilet bowls, and flush handles, taps and sinks with detergent and hot water after use, followed by a household disinfectant.
• Avoid sexual contact until you’ve been symptom free for at least 48 hours.

NHS choices 

If you’re travelling to a country where there’s a high risk of getting the condition, the Information below can help prevent infection:

• Don’t drink the local water unless you’re sure it’s clean (sterile) – drink bottled water or drinks in sealed cans or bottles.
• If the water isn’t sterile, boil it for several minutes or use chemical disinfectant or a reliable filter.
• Don’t clean your teeth with tap water.
• Don’t have ice in your drinks because it may be made from unclean water.
• Avoid fresh fruit or vegetables that can’t be peeled before eating.
• Avoid food and drink sold by street vendors, except drinks in properly sealed cans or bottles.

NHS choices

Future advise especially when travelling to an infectious country:

• Fresh foods: those that are peeled or cooked are the safest
• Avoid high risk foods like shellfish
• Boiling water is the best method of sterilisation
• Chemicals are useful for preparing safe drinking water but have their limitations
• Chlorine-based tablets are widely available and will be appropriate for most travellers
• More intrepid travellers and those planning to use surface waters as a drinking water source should use an iodine-based product.

• Iodine or chlorine used for water purification (as discussed later) can also be used for soaking and manufacturers of food products give recommendations for the appropriate concentrations.

There are three methods by which the traveller can prepare clean drinking water:

• Boiling:
  • Boil water for a full five minutes at any altitude.
• Chemical disinfection:
  • Iodine, chlorine, katedyne silver.
• Filtration

The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, January 2000;():DOI:10.1211/PJ.2000.20000218

• Frequent and thorough hand washing

Vaccine

• Vaccines are available but are not recommended as a routine one, only for those who visit such areas, they take two weeks to reach full effect and the effects last every two three years.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholera – Vibrio cholerae infection. General information. Reviewed: November 17, 2022. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/
general/index.html. Accessed May 20, 2023.

• Cholera vaccines provide protection against V. cholerae O1. Immunisation does not protect against V. cholerae serogroup O139 or other species of Vibrio.

Health Academy

• Zinc supplements are believed to help on young children under five years old.

World Health Organization. Cholera fact sheet. March 30, 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera. Accessed May 21, 2023.

Rehydration salts

If one experience severe dehydration and does not have access to rehydration salts, one can make their own as temporary measure and then seek medical advice:

• 1 Litre of clean water mix with 6 teaspoons of sugar and1 teaspoon of salt.

Health Academy

H.I.V Test

• A H.I.V test should be offered if one has this condition if symptoms are ongoing.

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

• Hanta virus (Medical Emergency)
• Typhoid And Paratyphoid (Enteric Fever) (Medical Emergency)

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice