Cholera has proved to be a deadly disease and the spread is dependent on the environmental health plan of a region and how the people care for their water supply. Over the years, measures have been taken to contain the disease, especially in Bangladesh. The outbreak of cholera started as early as 1817 after the British forced the people to move to remote Sundarbans to plant rice. The water in this region was filled with the cholera-causing bacteria. Since the country is poor and still developing a larger percentage of the population had access to only this kind of water, making the spread of the disease more prevalent. Cholera can be hosted by a number of objects, including fecal waste and people with blood group O and poor sanitary conditions. The flood causing monsoon rains knock down houses, the water comes into contact with the fecal waste and gets contaminated ( Hashizume et. al ., 2008). These people are left homeless and poor and can only survive on the contaminated water.
Cholera is a disease characterized by severe diarrhea that leads to dehydration. If untreated, cholera can lead to death. The disease is caused by taking water or food contaminated by Vibrio cholera, the cholera-causing bacteria. This bacteria cling to the intestines, causing fluids to be flashed out. The symptoms of cholera include increased heart rate, low blood pressure, muscle cramps and increased thirst. The prevention of cholera involves treating water before using it for anything. If one notices the symptoms of cholera, it is advisable to seek medical advice as quickly as possible. The main treatment of cholera involves hydration solutions that reduces the intensity of the diarrhea and also prevents the bacteria from spreading. Cholera was prevalent in the United States in previous years but a lot of measures were taken to reduce the spread of the disease. In recent years, only few people are diagnosed with cholera annually. Cholera is more severe in areas with poor sanitation and are overcrowded ( Hashizume et. al ., 2008) .
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Cholera is a water-borne disease and is not easily transmitted through body contact. The World Health Organization has set guidelines informing people not to prohibit exports and travel bans on countries experiencing the epidemic. However, countries like Bangladesh still face major economic setbacks owing to the prevalence of the disease. Studies show that epidemics reduce the exports from the country, reducing the earnings from such trade. One of the top ten export commodities in Bangladesh is fish. It becomes difficult for the country to trade in fish when hit by the epidemic given that cholera is spread via contaminated water and fish live in water. Moreover, people are taken aback from visiting Bangladesh during an epidemic. This results in reduced income from tourism (Loewenberg, 2017) .
Treatment of cholera involves a variety of antibiotics. The major treatment involves lots of hydration solutions taken by the infected individual as the disease results to loss of water from the body (Loewenberg, 2017). In 1960 the United States founded the International Centre for Diarrhea Disease Research (ICDDR), making advances in the treatment of cholera in Bangladesh. The research zone has proved to be successful, reviving most of the patients suffering from cholera. Besides saving lives, the ICDDR also educates the population on the disease, sensitizing them on the causes, prevention methods and cure of the disease. In addition, the United States also donated approximately 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine to help the developing country in its fight against cholera (Wahed et. al ., 2013).
Further research by the government and nongovernment bodies show that the treatment for cholera in Bangladesh does not require expensive medication. Rather, their focus is on trainings ( Emch et. al ., 2010). Due to the poor status of the nation, commodities such as tissue paper are unheard of or just too expensive. In addition to using their bare hands to wipe off waste, these people have no access to soap to wash away the waste. The population is highly ignorant on hygiene practices. Such little measure go a long way in eradicating the spread of the disease. Furthermore, drinking water harvested from the monsoon rains does not necessarily mean that people should contract the disease. Some nongovernmental bodies have shown that women can use their saris to filter water and make it safe for drinking. The nylon in this fabric traps up to 99% of the bacteria that causes cholera. Finally, a local company in Bangladesh has begun the production of the cholera vaccine that is not so expensive (Wahed et. al ., 2013).
In conclusion, cholera is known to affect most poor and developing countries due to their poor hygiene practices. The most effective way of reducing the spread of cholera in Bangladesh is as mentioned above. The government should invest more in health and hygiene education to the population. In addition, the government should strive to provide clean water to the community. Hand hygiene should also be practiced before meals. With this in mind, the spread of the epidemic will greatly reduce in the country just as it was effective in the United States.
References
Emch, M., Yunus, M., Escamilla, V., Feldacker, C., & Ali, M. (2010). Local population and regional environmental drivers of cholera in Bangladesh. Environmental Health , 9 (1), 2.
Hashizume, M., Armstrong, B., Hajat, S., Wagatsuma, Y., Faruque, A. S., Hayashi, T., & Sack, D. A. (2008). The effect of rainfall on the incidence of cholera in Bangladesh. Epidemiology , 19 (1), 103-110.
Loewenberg, S. (2017). Treating and preventing cholera in Bangladesh. The Lancet , 390 (10095), 637-638.
Wahed , T., Kaukab, S. S. T., Saha, N. C., Khan, I. A., Khanam, F., Chowdhury, F. ... & Qadri, F. (2013). Knowledge of, attitudes toward, and preventive practices relating to cholera and oral cholera vaccine among urban high-risk groups: findings of a cross-sectional study in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BMC public health , 13 (1), 242.
