Cholera is a bacterial disease that attacks the small intestines whenever someone swallows food or water containing the Vibrio Cholerae bacterium.
According to a statistic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Cholera infects one million to four million people every year and claims up to 143,000 lives globally each year.
If left untreated the disease can kill within 24 hours after its onset.
Its symptoms which may include watery diarrhoea that leads to dehydration, vomiting, dry mouth, and a rapid heart rate can manifest as soon as a few hours or even five days after infection.
Despite the symptoms, one may need to undergo a stool test to confirm before starting treatment.
However, one can also implement a number of habits to curb the deadly disease.
How to prevent Cholera
Observing good hygiene
Observing and maintaining good hygiene is vital to curbing the deadly bacteria.
One of the ways to maintain good hygiene is by ensuring our hands are clean by washing them with soap and safe water after visiting the washrooms, when we are preparing our meals and when eating.
This goes a long way in flushing out germs we pick daily. If you have no access to safe water to wash your hands, you can opt for alcohol-based sanitisers.
Also, one should ensure that our surrounding is clean and free from garbage that may attract houseflies and other insects that may help spread the disease.
Drinking safe water
Consuming safe water is one of the key ways to prevent one from getting cholera.
To keep your water safe for drinking and use, one may opt for store-bought bottled water, if the option is not available you can opt for water that has been chlorinated, filtered or adequately boiled.
This goes a long way to filter out the bacteria that may cause cholera.
Food preparation
One should ensure that they thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables with safe before preparing or ingesting them.
Similarly, if one is preparing foods such as sea foods they need to ensure that the foods are well cooked before eating to prevent the disease, you should also ensure that your hands are always clean before preparing meals.
Encourage the use of toilets
How you dispose of faecal matter is an important aspect to consider when trying to counteract the deadly disease.
To avert Cholera, always encourage the use of toilets or sanitation facilities.
If there is no access to either of the two, ensure that you poop” 30 meters away from water bodies.
Afterwards, bury your faecal matter to prevent the spread of the disease.
The same concept applies to mothers or guardians disposing of diapers, one should ensure that they are well disposed of in a plastic bag before being dumped in a pit latrine or garbage bins available.
