Question

Write a note on the preventive measures to be taken for cholera

Answer 1

1. Exclude people with cholera from childcare, preschool, school and work until there has been no diarrhoea for 24 hours. If working as a food handler in a food business, the exclusion period should be until there has been no diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours.

2. Infants, children and adults with cholera infection should not swim until there has been no diarrhoea for 24 hours.

3. Follow good hand washing procedures.

4. Severely ill patients should be isolated in hospital.

5. People who are less severely ill can be nursed at home. Faeces and vomit can be disposed of into the toilet except in areas where there is not an adequate sewage disposal system.

6. All linen and articles used by the patient should be washed in hot soapy water and the room thoroughly cleaned when the person has recovered.

7. Vaccines are available but are recommended only for travellers to high-risk countries. They may not protect against all strains of cholera bacteria and protection is for several months only.

8. When travelling to high-risk countries, seek advice from a travel medical clinic or an experienced general practitioner on how to protect yourself from cholera and other diarrhoeal illnesses. In particular, drink only water that has been boiled or disinfected with iodine or chlorine tablets. Carbonated bottled drinks are usually safe, if no ice is added.

9. Good food handling procedures should always be followed, including when travelling.

10. Contacts (for example, family members) of a case should be observed for 5 days from the date of the last exposure to the infected person. A contact is any person who has been close enough to an infected person to be at risk of having acquired the infection from that person.