This article talks about an outbreak of Cholera in mid-June in Eastern Cuba. At first, doctors thought it was a case of food poisoning from a party all the patients had gone too. Then as time moved on more and more people had began coming to the hospital with similar symptoms which were diarrhea and heavy vomiting. Diarrhea was not unusual in Manzanillo, a small town in Eastern Cuba's hospital because the residents live without indoor plumbing and in the summer deal with heat and heavy rains. Even though Doctors had seen symptoms like these, they had never seen them in this high of count on patients, which means they knew they were dealing with something they never have dealt with before.
The problem, as you already might know was a Cholera outbreak, something that Cuba hadn't faced since over a century ago. "Although eradicated in many countries, the disease, according to the World Health Organization, still infects about 3 million to 5 million people each year, killing between 100,000 and 120,000." However residents in Cuba who were suffering from Cholera and didn't quite know what it was, called it "el evento". Cholera took 3 lives and infected over 110 people during that outbreak in Cuba.
I think this article was interesting mostly because I actually knew what Cholera was because we studied it in class but secondly because I never imagined it could happen to anyone today. When we were learning about it I was being some what self close minded and thinking to myself everyone has a clean water supply and the living conditions we do. Unfortunately just because we have clean water doesn't mean everyone else in the world does and that's why the people in Cuba got sick. It eye opening to read about current situations and incidents dealing with Cholera and its unfortunate to know that not everyone has the small chance of getting it that we do.
Kelsie- I’m in the same boat as you. I also had a hard time picturing cholera in current times. It seems SO FAR from our everyday reality because of how easily accessible clean water is to us. This caused me to think of it as part of our past and something we happily overcame, even though I knew that was false.
ReplyDeleteYour line about how common diarrhea and vomiting is in Eastern Cuba caught my attention. Their lack of access to clean water affects their everyday life and forces them to drink water that they know could lead to a contraction of a disease.
Writing about a disease we are currently learning about in class makes this article more relatable and will even help us in class.
Kelsie- This is a very interesting article. Thank you for choosing a topic which is very prevalent in our class right now! In your efforts to learn more about cholera, you have educated me about it as well.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to read this article. I have done a couple projects involving third world country water access, but until now I was unaware that Cuba suffered from a poor water system. I guess I assumed that because their health care system and care of the elderly was so good that they had access to clean water too.
What i find most interesting about the outbreak is that 3 people died from the symptoms of Cholera. We have been taught that Cholera is curable if given access to fluids and vitamins lost with diarrhea. I am surprised that these people were not able to survive. Was it because the doctors did not react in time?
It is also shocking that so many people were infected. It is scary to think how fast a disease like cholera can replicate and infect hundreds of other people within a day.
Kelsie- I found this article very intriguing. After learning about this very deadly disease in class, it's quite horrifying that people around the world suffer everyday. I know we had talked about the Cholera outbreak in Haiti before, but that was due to a natural disaster. Though that outbreak was equally as drastic, it was in response to a very different situation. This outbreak in Cuba was only because of the poor living conditions in some regions of Cuba.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some people say that sending money and/or products to these unfortunate countries don't make a difference, in the long run they really would. It's countries like Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, and more that need our aid to live a better and healthier life. The U.S. has some of the best medical supplies and professionals in the world, and they are being used around the globe to aid in different situations like this one.
I don't believe it to be a coincidence that cholera has broken out in eastern Cuba at the same time an epidemic is ravaging Haiti. It is entirely possible that a contaminate has spread from Hispanola to Cuba across the strait dividing the two islands, and that parts of Cuba will now be ravaged in a similar way that the Haitian population has suffered.
ReplyDeleteWhile we are learning about the limit of the 1854 epidemic, it could be possible for a contamination to spread among areas, so long as an infection cycle between people and sources of water continues. We also know, however, that cholera outbreaks have a tendency to last for a short time, and the outbreak will eventually calm to normal levels. Until then, as much humanitarian aid as possible should be sent to both countries to alleviate suffering and prevent further cases.