The
word cholera is from Greek: cholera from
khole “bile”. Cholera likely has
its origins in the Indian subcontinent: it has been prevalent in the Ganges dealt since ancient times. The
disease first spread by trade routes (land and sea) to Russia in 1817, then to
Western Europe, and from Europe to North America. Seven cholera pandemics have
occurred in the past 200 years, with the seventh originating in Indonesia in
1961.
Cholera affects an estimated 3-5
million people world wide. It causes 100,000-130,000 deaths annual 92010
report). In the 1980’s death rates were believed to be greater than 3 million
because most cases were not reported due to the negative effect in will have on
the tourism industry of the country.
Cholera is both epidemic and endemic
in may areas of the world. Cholera likely has its origin the Indo-Pakistan
subcontinent. Its prevalence is more around the deltas of Ganges and
Brehmaputra rivers. There has been seven cholera pandemic in the past 200
years. The fist one was in Bengal region of India in 1817-1824 while the last
one was in Indonesia in 1961 and it spread through the whole of Africa into the
Mediterranean, Europe and even to the gulf coast of the USA.
A particular strain the EI Tor type
has been proved capable of speedy and extensive spread over much wider areas
than the classical type. The EI Tor strain displaced the classical strain. In
Calcuta in 1964, there was only one case of classical cholera for every 10 or
more cases of the EI Tor cholera. This is due to the elimination of the
classical strain by the EI Tor strain within a few hours both in vitro and in
vivo.
Cholera epidemic occurs in refugee
camps and elsewhere in Africa. The massive migration of Rwandan Hutus refugees
to Zaire resulted in massive cholera outbreak in 1994, 30,000 people were
involved with crude mortality rates of 19.5-31.2 per 10,000.
Cholera rose from a local disease to
become of the most fatal ailments of the 19th century killing
millions of people. More than one million people died in Russia between 1847
and 1851; 150,000 Americans died during the second pandemic between 1900- 1920;
and up to 8 million people died in India. Cholera was the first reportable
disease in the United States. In England, John snow was the first to identify
the importance of contaminated water in its cause in 1854. an Epidemic of
cholera subsided after the handle of
suspected contaminated well was removed.
After the 2010 earthquake, an outbreak
swept over Haiti. The number of deaths have been difficult to verify due to
the fact that most people do not have enough money to go to the hospital and
are dying at home. An estimated 470,000 cases of this infection has been
reported in this third world country. After one year, this marks the worst
cholera outbreak in recent history, as well as the best documented cholera
outbreak in modern public health. Famous people believed to have died of
cholera include:
·
Charles X, King of France (d. 1836)
·
James K. Polk, eleventh president of the United States (d. 1831
Carl von Clausewitz, Prussian soldier and German military theorist (d. 1831)