THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CHOLERA AMONG CHILDREN

THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CHOLERA AMONG CHILDREN

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the causes and effects of cholera in Benin City during the rainy season. In order to collect data for the study, seven (7) research questions were developed and questionnaires were distributed to 150 respondents. The findings revealed that poor environmental sanitation causes cholera outbreaks, that washing hands before eating helps to prevent or reduce cholera outbreaks, that drinking and swimming in contaminated water causes cholera infection, and that a poorly maintained toilet also causes cholera outbreaks, among other things. Recommendations were made, including that the government should take action by implementing various measures to prevent and minimize cholera sickness throughout the country and in Benin City. Before consuming or bathing in it, our water should be carefully treated by adding chlorine. We are also advised to keep clean areas where food is prepared and to properly cover these foods to avoid a cholera outbreak. Mothers are also advised to wash their children’s clothes with soap and clean water and to wash their hands after caring for sick people to avoid the risk of the disease.

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

Cholera is a small intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae 01 and 0139 (Riyan 2004 & WHO 2010). The most common symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting. The primary mode of transmission is through the consumption of contaminated drinking water or food. The severity of the diarrhea and vomiting might cause dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance. Every year, an estimated 3-5 million cholera cases and 100,000-120,000 cholera deaths occur. The short incubation period of two to five days contributes to the potentially explosive pattern of outbreaks (Faruque 2008; WHO 2010). Inadequate environmental management is intimately linked to cholera transmission. Peri-urban slums, where basic infrastructure is lacking, and camps for internally displaced people or refugees, where basic requirements such as clean water and sanitation are not met, are examples of at-risk regions. If the bacteria is present or introduced, the consequences of a disaster, such as disruption of water and sanitation systems or displacement of populations to inadequate and overcrowded camps, can increase the risk of cholera transmission.

Epidemics have never emerged from the remains of dead people. Cholera continues to be a global danger to public health and a vital measure of socioeconomic development. The recent reemergence of cholera has coincided with an increase in the number of susceptible persons living in filthy settings (Emch 2008 and WHO, 2010).

Outbreaks are caused by two serogroups of v. cholera, 01 and 0139 (Alexander 2008). The bulk of outbreaks are caused by v. cholera 01, while 0139 – first identified in Bangladesh in 1992 – is restricted to South-East Asia. Although Non-01 and Non-0139 v. cholera can cause mild diarrhea, they do not cause epidemics. Bacteria are spread by contaminated drinking water or food. Pathogenic v. cholera can survive freezing and refrigeration in food supply. Reildl et al., 2002 The number of germs necessary to infect healthy volunteers via oral administration of living vibrios is larger than 1000 (Hartely 2006). cholera development in most volunteers following ingestion of only 100 cholera vibrios tests also suggest that vibrios ingested with meals are more likely to produce infection than vibrios consumed alone (Finkelstein 1996). Cases tend to cluster by location and season, with the majority of illnesses occurring in children aged 1 to 5 years (WHO 2010).

The bacteria vibrio cholerae causes cholera, a severe water-borne infectious disease. In 2005, 52 nations reported 131,943 cases, including 2,272 deaths. The year was distinguished by a particularly significant sequence of outbreaks in West Africa, which affected 14 countries and accounted for 58% of all cholera cases globally (WHO 2006). Nigeria reported 4,477 cases and 174 deaths in the same year. In 2008, there were 429 deaths out of 6,330 reported cases of cholera in Nigeria. Furthermore, there were 2,304 cases in Niger State in 2008, with 114 deaths reported (NBS 2009). In recent years, there has been a strong tendency of cholera outbreaks in emerging nations, such as India (2007), Iraq (2008), Congo (2008), Zimbabwe (2008-2009), Haiti (2010), and Kenya (2010). Edo State’s Koko (1989). According to UN figures, 1,555 individuals have died in Nigeria since January, with 38,173 cases registered. The amount is more than four times higher than the government’s August death toll (Guardian, 2010).

Cholera is a disease caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, a serologically diverse, environmental, and gram-negative rod bacterium (Li et al., 2002). It is characterized by profuse diarrhea, severe dehydration, and electrolyte loss (Colwell and Huq, 1994). There is a substantial mortality rate in the absence of effective therapy. Because of its high transmissibility, death-to-case ratio, and ability to arise in epidemic and pandemic forms, cholera is a serious public health problem (Kaper et al., 1995). Cholera kills an estimated 120,000 people worldwide each year (WHO, 2001), and it remains a global scourge affecting all continents. In developing countries with endemic areas, cholera is still a major problem, with more than five million cases reported each year (Tauxe et al., 1994; Lan and Reeves, 2002). The explosive nature of the outbreak, the severity of the sickness, and the possible threat to food and water supplies have spurred the inclusion of V. cholerae as a biological defense research organism (Zhang et al., 2003). In an epidemic, the vast majority of patients are easily recognized by clinical diagnosis, and bacteriological identification is frequently unnecessary. Cholera is endemic in Nigeria (Falade and Lawoyin, 1999), and epidemiological features (Utsalo et al., 1991, 1992; Eko et al., 1994; Hutin et al., 2003) from many sections of the country have been documented, along with investigations into likely causes of outbreaks. Outbreaks of cholera have been recorded in several Nigerian states, including Ogun, Edo, and Plateau. Investigations into the Nigerian cholera outbreak have concentrated on epidemiological aspects, the likely source of contamination, and risk factors, with little spatial correlation of health data. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology advancements, on the other hand, give this opportunity and have become an indispensable tool for processing, analyzing, and displaying spatial data in the disciplines of environmental health, disease ecology, and public health (Kistemann et al., 2002).

The use of GIS in waterborne disease outbreaks and cholera research is not new. It has been used in the investigation of waterborne disease outbreaks (NWW, 1999), microbial risk assessment of drinking water reservoirs (Kistemann et al., 2001a), drinking water supply structure (Kistemann et al., 2001b), and spatial patterns of diarrhoea illness in relation to water supply structures (Dangendorf et al., 2002). GIS technology has been used in cholera studies to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic indices and cholera incidence (Ackers et al., 1998), environmental risk factors (Ali et al., 2002a), spatial epidemiology (Ali et al., 2002b), health risk prediction (Fleming et al., 2007), and cholera spatial and demographic patterns (Osei and Duker, 2008). The purpose of this research is to determine the causes and consequences of a cholera outbreak in Benin City, Edo State.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Many people have long been concerned about the prospect of cholera spreading throughout Nigeria. The congested conditions, combined with inadequate water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services, provide a dangerous breeding ground for cholera to quickly spread out of control. To avoid this worst-case scenario, the government must mobilize a strong reaction to educate the general people about the causes of this fatal disease as well as strategies to avoid an epidemic. Every day, hygiene promoters should be hired to share information on how to avoid catching the illness as well as the indications and symptoms of the condition.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The goal of this research is to find out what causes cholera during the rainy season in Benin City.

The study’s particular goals are as follows:

1. Determine the source of cholera in Benin City.

2. Determine whether cholera outbreaks are common among youngsters in Benin City during the rainy season.

3. To identify the issues connected with cholera prevention in Benin City.

4. To identify methods of preventing cholera outbreaks in Benin City.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

The study asked and addressed the following research questions:

1. Does poor environmental sanitation contribute to cholera outbreaks?

2. Can consuming and bathing in contaminated water cause a cholera outbreak?