Follow-up – WAA
The Bulgarian Ministry of Health announced the registration of the first case of cholera infection since 1921, indicating that the infected person is a 23-year-old Indian man..
The agency reported “Novinite” Bulgarian Ministry of Health: “A case of imported cholera has been confirmed in Bulgaria, the first case of its kind in 103 years.”“.
The statement added: “The patient is a 23-year-old Indian citizen who recently traveled to the Indian capital, New Delhi.“.
According to the agency, based on the regional health inspection in the capital Sofia, the tourist began to suffer from symptoms of acute diarrhea the day after his return from India, laboratory tests confirmed that he was infected with cholera, and he was taken to the hospital..
The agency added that his current condition is described as good, and one of the patient’s relatives has been placed in quarantine, and the necessary measures have been taken in the medical institution to prevent the spread of the disease..
It is worth noting that in January 2023, the World Health Organization considered the cholera epidemic a “level 3 emergency,” which corresponds to the highest level of complexity. The organization’s statement read: “Given the number of outbreaks worldwide, their geographical distribution, and the shortage of vaccines and other resources, WHO continues to assess (according to the results of last June) the global risk as very high.”“.
What is striking is that the world is facing a “severe shortage” of oral cholera vaccine. Since January 2023, 17 countries have requested 102 million doses, while only 51 million doses have been produced during this period. On July 8, 2024, the global stockpile of cholera vaccines stood at only 7.5 million doses..
Cholera is a serious disease caused by the infectious bacterium Vibrio cholerae. (Vibrio cholerae)Infection occurs when it enters the body with food or water..
Source: Agencies