Cholera In Malaysia

1. Cholera In Malaysia Or TAUN in Bahasa Malaysia By Razeen and Zulhisyam

2. What is it? • Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic or epidemic cholera, is an infectiousgastroenteritis caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibriocholerae. • Vibriocholerae is a Gram-negative bacterium that produces cholera toxin, an enterotoxin, whose action on the mucosal epithelium lining of the small intestine

3. History of cholera • Calcutta India in the early 1800 • Since then, there have been a total of eight cholera pandemics. • 1=1817-1823 spread from India to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia • The recent cholera epidemic in Pohnpei, which was part of the eighth and current pandemic

4. The Italian doctor Filippo Pacini was the first to discover the cholera bacteria (Vibrio cholerae) in 1854 when cholera hit Florence, but his discovery was ignored by the Italian medical community which still subscribed to the miasmatic theory of illness. 1883 that the cholera bacteria was discovered again independently by the German physician Robert Koch. By this time the western medical establishment was ready to accept the fact that microorganisms did indeed cause illnesses such as cholera.

5. Symptoms • exhaustive diarrhea • blood pressure may drop to hypotensive levels within an hour • The acute form of the disease (cholera gravis) leads within hours to hypovolemia, acidosis, and potassium deficiency from the loss of fluid and electrolytes • Complications include renal failure, pulmonary oedema, abortion in pregnant women, and profound hypoglycemia and seizures in young children.

6. Transmission • contamination is typically other cholera patients • untreated diarrhea discharge is allowed to get into waterways or into groundwater or drinking water supplies • Any infected water and any foods washed in the water, as well as shellfish living in the affected waterway, can cause an infection. 

7. Recent outbreaks in MALAYSIA • KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The use of contaminated fish to make crackers, a favourite snack in the state, has been identified as among the sources of cholera outbreak Terengganu • Samples from raw chickens taken at the Gong Pauh wholesale market in WakafMempelam as well as samples from two ice factories also tested positive for the bacteria • so far 621 patients were admitted due to acute gastroenteritis. including 22 carriers and 138 tested positive for the disease. • New strain of cholera found. resistant to the antibiotics usually used to treat cholera. recent floods maybe one of the cause of the outbreak.

8. One more Malaysian state reported cholera outbreak   KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sabah, a state in East Malaysia, is confirmed to be the second state in the country to have recorded a cholera outbreak, a Malaysian official said on Monday.     There were 18 cases reported in the state, said Malaysian Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin after launching the Second International Conference on Rural Medicine 2009 at KotaKinabalu, Sabah's state capital.     While two states in Malaysia had reported cholera cases, Rosnahsaid the ones in Terengganu, an eastern state in peninsula Malaysia, were caused by different bacteria strain, requiring different antibiotics for treatment.     Noting that the situation in Sabah State was under control, Rosnah advised the public to look after their health and hygiene, and to be careful when handling food.     The first cholera case in the recent outbreak was reported on Nov. 11 at Kuala Terengganu, the state capital of Terengganu State and as of Sunday, a total of 185 confirmed cases were reported in the state.

9. Thailand may be cholera source of peninsula Malaysia     KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cholera outbreaks in the two northern states in peninsula Malaysia are believed to have been spread from Thailand, a Malaysian official said on Thursday.     Malaysian Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin told reporters at a ground breaking ceremony for a power plant in Sabah, a state in East Malaysia on Thursday.     Rosnah said that while cholera cases were reported in the states of Terengganu, Kelantan and Sabah, patients in Sabah showed only ordinary cholera symptoms and would recover by taking ordinary antibiotics.     However, patients in Terengganu and Kelantan, two northern states in peninsula Malaysia bordering Thailand, were not reacting to the ordinary antibiotics.     She said that the ministry found out on Wednesday that the unusual form of cholera was spread from Thailand where similar types of the disease were reported.     The first cholera case in the recent outbreak was reported on Nov. 11 at Kuala Terengganu, the state capital of Terengganu and to date, Rosnah said Terengganu reported 185 cases while Kelantan reported 14 cases.

14. Treatment • administration of oral rehydration salts to replace lost fluids • In severe cases, intravenous administration of fluids may be required • Drugs • Tetracycline: an antibiotic (trade name Achromycin) derived from microorganisms of the genus Streptomyces and used broadly to treat infections • Sulphonamides:more effective and less toxic antibiotics

15. Prevention • Water supply and sanitation • Personal hygiene, food preparation and health education • Avoid contaminated water • Avoid contaminated food • Avoid ice, unless you are sure that it is made from safe water. • Avoid raw seafood and other raw foods • Ice cream from unreliable sources • Vaccines

16. Reference http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/bnm/20091127/tts-floods-terengganu-night-bm-993ba14.html http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20091124-181850.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholera http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/6/nation/20091206123538&sec=nation http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/