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South America Braces Itself for Cholera Epidemic
*** Governments in south America have sounded cholera alarm bells. An epidemic has broken out in Peru and cases have been reported from Ecuador and Bolivia. Movements of people, ships and produce from Peru have been restricted and the import offish prohibited. International sporting events are being hit. Gemini News Service reports on an illness that strikes poor people who do not have access to clean water and public health information. by Frank Nowikowski. ***
CHOLERA has hit south America. The region is bracing itself for an epidemic of this infectious, and often fatal, disease which entered the subcontinent tn Peru In January and claimed 200 lives in the first month.
The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency on February 19 when the epidemic had spread through one-third of the country with 50,000 reported cases of 111-ness
The first case of cholera was detected on the January 23 in the Peruvian port of Chimbote, 360 kilometers northwest of Uma. From there it spread to the ports of Chan-cay. Casma and Callao. Soon the epidemic had reached the
out the whole country.
By the end of February only eight of Peru's administrative departments had not reported a case of cholera. The illness was then detected in neigh bouring Ecuador and Bolivia. All South American governments have sounded alarm bells and mounted public health education programmes.
Movement of individuals, ships and produce from Peru have been severely restricted by neighbouring governments. The import of fish caught off Peru or landed anywhere by Peruvian boats has been pro hibited.
Peruvian ships seeking to enter ports of other South American countries are being ordered to stay beyond 20 miles from shore and their crews forbidden to leave ship. The Peruvian-flagged ship Mar Argentine has been prevented from entering the Argentine port of Quequen, until it has been declared "chan."
International sporting events were hit. as players from and to Peru were grounded. The American Ub-ertadores Cup was affected as Peruvian football players were banned from travelling abroad Paraguayan footballers have re fused to go to F¥ru. It is believed the present cholera epidemic was brought by a sailor to South America from Asia, traditional starting point for the disease.
Greek historian Tucidides (471-402 BC) mentions a
cholera epidemic in Athens. Epidemics are recorded in Indian texts a few centuries earlier.
There were reports of cholera epidemics in 1438 and 1629. One epidemic which
started In the Ganges della In India was documented as entering China tn 1669
• The major pandemic (worldwide epidemics) of 1817 started In India and spread to East Asia then by sea to the Philippines, China and Japan, and overland to Asia Minor and Russia, but did not reach Europe.
Two years later cholera reappeared in Russia, entering from China and Mongolia The epidemic spread to Germany and reached Britain in 1832 from where. Jtrough Canada. It spread to the Americas
Another epidemic of cholera reached Europe from Egypt in 1840 and between 1863-66. It reached the United States between 1867 and 1873
A pandemic which erigl nated in India In 1879 entered Europe In 1883 through French Mediterranean ports One victim was the Russian composer Tchaikovsky
The last major pandemic was in 1908-9 and affected In dia. China, the Philippines and Europe. By that time two Germans. Maximilian Petienkofer and Robert Koch had done much to identify the organism responsible for cholera, and the public health measures needed to stop the spread of the 4
Cholera fa a ^strolnlestl nal sickness caused by the Ingestion of bacteria. It Is Characterised by vomiting and
diarrhoea, abundant cramps, suppression of urine and general prostration.
There are many forms of cholera, some relatively mild types being labelled European cholera* or 'simply cholera*. The present Peruvian epi demic is not of a very virulent strain, with a mortality rate of 0.05 per cent. But health authorities are bracing themselves for a second, more virulent. stage
The most vulnerable are the poor in any society, who have no access to clean drinking water and food. For Its survival and development the cholera bacterium needs water. It can survive up to 285 days In salt sea water down tn a depth of 4.5 metres
For this reason ships are being asked to empty their bal last tanks far out to sea before approaching ports.
The cholera bacteria in sea water i iuilamlnates plankton which forms the base of the food < I tain for many marine animals Al risk are humans eat ing fish caught In Infected water*
Poverty stricken Peruvian towns do not have sophisticated sewerage systems. Raw sewage Is dumped untreated not only into the ocean but also into rivers, from where poor people lake their drinking and cooking water
Cholera Is an Illness that strikes poor people who do not have access to clean waler and public health In formation Poor people also fall victim to the disease where strong, well-nourished people may ward It off.
Not everyone who Ingests the cholera bacteria, succumbs to the Illness The acids In a normally healthy Individual s stomach and Intestines can destroy the bacillus
In many South American countries, public health an nouncements on TV advise on how to disinfect drinking war by boiling or by adding chlo line. or washing hands and cooking food GEMINI NEWS