A new study of the burden of cholera in three impoverished regions of the world, published February 20 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, found that young children bear the brunt of the disease. The study also found that out of the three study sites— Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (India), and Beira (Mozambique)—the African site had the highest incidence of cholera.
Jacqueline Deen (International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea) and colleagues in Indonesia, India, and Mozambique established cholera surveillance based at treatment facilities at these three sites. The lowest overall cholera rate was in Jakarta with 0.5 cases per 1000 population per year. The incidence was three times higher in Kolkata (1.6/1000/year) and eight times higher in Beira (4.0/1000/year), adding to the growing impression of a large cholera problem in Africa. In all sites, children were the most affected.
“Cholera is an often forgotten disease affecting the world’s forgotten people,” say Deen and colleagues. “When a large cholera outbreak occurs, the disease appears briefly on the radar of public attention. Some unfortunate populations around the world suffer recurrent episodes of cholera but their plight goes unnoticed.”
The authors argue that the new estimates from their study are valuable when considering where and among whom interventions against cholera are most needed. “Improvement of water supply and sanitation is the best strategy against cholera and other diarrheal diseases,” say the authors, “but may not be achievable in these impoverished areas in the near future. Other immediate, short- to medium-term strategies such as vaccination against cholera may be useful.”
Citation: Deen JL, von Seidlein L, Sur D, Agtini M, Lucas MES, et al. (2008) The High Burden of Cholera in Children: Comparison of Incidence from Endemic Areas in Asia and Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2(2): e173. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000173 (
http://www.plosntds.org/doi/pntd.0000173)
Source: Public Library of Science
Related stories:
Novel compound may treat acute diarrhea
In a development that may lessen the epidemic of diarrhea-related deaths among children in developing countries, scientists in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have discovered a novel compound that might lead to an inexpensive, easy-to-take treatment. The results of pre-clinical tests appear in the June 16 online edition of the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
'Women and children first': Men, statistics show your best chance is on the port side
If you were a man on the Titanic, which side of the ship would have given you the best chance of making it into a lifeboat -- and surviving?
Drugstore in the dirt
French clay that kills several kinds of disease-causing bacteria is at the forefront of new research into age-old, nearly forgotten, but surprisingly potent cures. Among the malevolent bacteria that a French clay has been shown to fight is a "flesh-eating" bug (M. ulcerans) on the rise in Africa and the germ called MRSA, which was blamed for the recent deaths of two children in Virginia and Mississippi.
Tiny water purification packet helps save lives worldwide
Chemists have developed a powerful household water purification system that puts the cleansing power of an industrial water treatment plant into a container the size of a ketchup packet. The researchers have shown that the tiny packet, which acts as a chemical filter, can be added to highly contaminated water to dramatically reduce pathogen-induced diarrhea — the top killer of children in much of the developing world.
Nanotechnology's miniature answers to developing world's biggest problems
In a study by the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, a panel of international experts ranks the 10 nanotechnology applications in development worldwide with the greatest potential to aid the poor. With a high degree of unanimity, the 63 panelists selected energy production, conversion and storage, along with creation of alternative fuels, as the area where nanotechnology applications are most likely to benefit developing countries.
New cholera outbreaks in Vietnam: health official
Vietnam is experiencing new outbreaks of cholera, the health ministry said Friday, despite efforts since last year to eradicate the dangerous bacterial disease.
Could new discovery about a shape-shifting protein lead to a mighty 'morpheein' bacteria fighter?
A small molecule that locks an essential enzyme in an inactive form could one day form the basis of a new class of unbeatable, species-specific antibiotics, according to researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Researchers find human virus in chimpanzees
After studying chimpanzees in the wilds of Tanzania's Mahale Mountains National Park for the past year as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, Virginia Tech researcher Dr. Taranjit Kaur and her team have produced powerful scientific evidence that chimpanzees are becoming sick from viral infectious diseases they have likely contracted from humans.