CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq — Profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps are symptoms of severe cholera. These symptoms can lead to shock, dehydration and ultimately death.
Last year, Iraq experienced an outbreak of cholera which caused 11 deaths.
"Every year there is an outbreak," said Lt. Col. David Wallace, 10th Mountain Division Surgeon. "Hopefully this year we will lower the number with the measures we've taken."
Action has been taken by the government of Iraq, U.S. Army units and Provincial Reconstruction Teams to provide citizens of Iraq with filters and chorine to clean their drinking water.
"Cholera is usually spread by drinking from unapproved water sources," said Wallace. "People need to drink from approved sources — including ice. Putting water bottles in unapproved ice increases the risk because of the condensation on the outside of the bottle."
According to Wallace, the rate of cholera has decreased as access to clean water has increased.
Another preventative measure Wallace suggests is educating the Iraqi populace on the dangers of unfiltered, unclean water. Leaflets are available to be handed out to Iraqi civilians.
Wallace said the best times to distribute the pamphlets are between May and July. Cholera thrives in warm temperature so the outbreaks usually spike in September and October.
"[Health officials in the United States] do the same thing before the flu season," said Wallace. "We don't want [the local populace] to panic so we need to educate them before the outbreak."
Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholera, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholera is treated by immediately replacing fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Severe cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, less than one percent of cholera patients die. Antibiotics shorten the course and diminish the severity of the illness, but they are not as important as rehydration. Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2009 12:27 |
| Story ID: | 33055 |
| Location: | BASRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 436 |
| Downloads: | 425 |
This work, Cholera: a risk in Iraq, by SFC Debralee Lutgen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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