After the last case of cholera in Lebanon passed in 1993, this dangerous epidemic reappeared again, specifically in Akkar. The number of officially announced injuries at the moment of this writing is still two. It is possible that the first diagnosed case was imported from Syria, but this does not mean that there are no internal factors that lead to the spread of the epidemic, most notably the lack of maintenance of infrastructure, which leads to mixing drinking water with sewage, this is in addition to the interruption of vaccinations and low vaccination rates among Young children up to 40%.
Caretaker Minister of Public Health Firas Al-Abyad explained that “the arrival of cholera in Lebanon was expected,” announcing that the ministry had taken a number of measures in an effort to limit its spread, including forming a crisis cell and holding continuous meetings, scheduling field visits, and activating water testing laboratories in 8 hospitals. And laboratories as a first stage… Despite reassuring the citizens that “the focus of the spread is still confined,” Al-Abyadh fears “a wider spread if the situation is not remedied.” While waiting for the fate of the epidemic, what are the symptoms of catching it? How can infection be avoided?
The bacteriologist at the Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital and Saint Joseph University, Nabil Shehata, explains to Al Markaziya that “cholera bacteria love water and moisture. The main cause of disease transmission is related to the cleanliness of the drinking water. The disease spreads at a record speed.Also, washing vegetables and fruits or irrigating agricultural products with water contaminated with sewage is one of the factors leading to infection, or even eating food in public places and restaurants without washing it.In the event that an infected person uses the toilet without washing his hands and then meets a person Another can transmit disease to him…”.
Symptoms: The most prominent symptoms of infection are summarized as follows: Diarrhea, as cholera is one of the most infectious diseases that cause infections and lead to very strong diarrhea that often dehydrates the body, causing the death of the patient. This is in addition to stomach pain and high body temperature, with sometimes suffering from vomiting.”
When feeling these symptoms, Shehata advises to “refer to the doctor directly, without taking any medication, especially antibiotics.”
Treatment: With regard to treating the infection, he explains that “treatment methods vary according to cases. It is certain that the patient is isolated and often given a water serum, in addition to antibiotics.”
Prevention: With regard to prevention guidelines, Shehata points out that “cholera is a bacteria that lives in the intestines and is not transmitted through breathing. Uncontaminated drinking water is one of the most important means of protection. Citizens must ensure that the water source is not mixed with sewage and does not contain any bacteria either. Cholera or others such as hepatitis A, which has also existed in Lebanon for a while for the same reason, while the residents of many areas and villages drink from a spring or well without conducting continuous checks for the validity of its water. Clean, can be boiled well for at least 5-10 minutes.
Also, washing hands is essential for prevention, in addition to washing vegetables and fruits well with clean running water, especially since some items such as parsley and green vegetables are attached to germs, or they can also be soaked for a few minutes in concentrated vinegar before re-washing them with water.
As for the vaccinated people, he points out that “they are not protected at high rates, especially since the results of the Ministry of Health’s investigations into the type of cholera strain have not yet been issued. Also, the vaccine is not currently available in Lebanon, and in countries where cholera is witnessing a frightening spread of cholera, thousands often fall ill and die before the arrival of The vaccine, therefore, comes in second place as a means of prevention after the aforementioned matters.”
What awaits Lebanon? And whether the country is at risk of a major outbreak of the epidemic, Shehata answers, “If the source of infection is identified, the spread can be controlled from its beginning. The threat is serious if the cause is water that more than one person drank or contaminated food because control becomes somewhat difficult,” hoping “to identify the source.” To contain the disease and limit its spread, and if the level of drinking water is controlled, it can often be prevented, and it seems that the possibility of containing it is possible because it is still confined to Akkar.”
He concludes, “Cholera is one of the deadliest epidemics in humanity, and it is necessary to take firm government measures to control it quickly.”