Cholera

Cholera is an acute infection disease which caused by a germ called vibrio cholera. It spreads by the use of contaminated food or water. It is mostly spared through flies. The stool and the vomit of cholera patient are full of germs. The stools are watery and are white like rice. There is no pain in abdomen. If the frequent vomits and motions are not checked, the patient may get dehydrated and collapse. In order to save the life of the patient, early treatment of cholera is absolutely essential.

Prevention

The disease is preventable. The health department should organize an inoculation campaign every summer and every person must come forward to get inoculated. During an outbreak of cholera, boiled water should be used. The water in the wells should be disinfected with the potassium permanganate. Aerated water and ice-cream etc. should be totally discarded. DD.T. should be sprayed to kill files etc.

Typhoid

This is caused by germ called Salmonella typhi. It is a type of infectious fever which continues from one to four weeks. The relapse is very common. The germs of y typhoid are present in the stool. This disease spreads through the use of contaminated water and food.

The characteristic of this fever is that some persons, who are very strong, though they carry disease germs, do not suffer from the disease themselves, but they may pass on the disease to other persons. Such persons are called the carries of the disease. Flies also cause typhoid by first feeding on infected excreta and then sitting on human food. The treatment of typhoid is no more a problem after the discovery of a drug called Chloremphenicol.

Prevention

One should get oneself inoculated against typhoid. One should take only boiled water during the period when this disease breaks out. Milk should be boiled before use. The patient of typhoid should be isolated from other members of the family. During the treatment of typhoid, patient should be kept on semi- liquid diet. The person suffering from typhoid should be given complete rest.