Prevalence Of Cholera Research Articles

Hygiene, Medicine, and Modernity in Korea, 1876–1910

Modernity in relation to medicine and the body is central to discussions on modernity in Korea. I have chosen to write this paper I have already penned several writings that are related to the topic: modern hygiene, cleanliness, medical service, and medicine. First topic is about the contrast between premodernity and modernity by comparing the prevalence of cholera in the early nineteenth and the early twentieth century. I discussed the new Western hygiene to control cholera decisively contributing to the destruction of the Confucian worldview and the generation of a new colonial modern order as well as preventing an epidemic, cholera. Second topic is about the dichotomy between cleanliness—cultured and uncleanliness—barbarity. Because it was related to the five senses, the discourse of uncleanliness and cleanliness could bring about an immediate effect, which made it the most elementary and primary discourse of modernity in Korea. Third topic is about premodern bodies in topknots and modern bodies in short hair. From among the incidents and topics that I studied then, the most impressive and extreme case regarding the relationship between the body and hygiene was that of the Cut Topknot Act (斷髮令). According to this decree, there were two main reasons for cutting off topknots: hygiene and convenience. Underlying them is the idea that long hair harms political reform and national enrichment. Indeed, this legislation had served as the battleground for a fierce war between modern standards and premodern traditions. Fourth topic is about the modernizing phase of health care system in Korea between 1876 and 1910. The health care system in Korea underwent tremendous changes from 1876 to 1910. In this process, the recently imported Western practices gradually came to occupy the center and existing practices were delegated to the periphery. Final topic is about the sanitation movement that believers of Ch’ ǒntokyo initiated around the twentieth century. This voluntary movement was greatly different from the two external and forced modernizations by Japanese imperialism and Western missionaries.

ClassicalctxBinVibrio choleraeO1, Kolkata, India

To the Editor: Among the 206 serogroups of Vibrio cholerae, O1 and O139 are associated with epidemic cholera. Serogroup O1 is classified into 2 biotypes, classical and El Tor. Conventionally, the 2 biotypes can be differentiated on the basis of a set of phenotypic traits. Comparative genomic analysis has shown variations in different genes between these biotypes (1). Cholera toxin (CT), the major toxin responsible for the disease cholera, has 2 epitypes or immunologic forms, CT1 and CT2 (2). Another classification recognizes 3 genotypes on the basis of the ctxB gene sequence variation (3). In the past few years, a new emerging form of V. cholerae O1, which possesses traits of both classical and El Tor biotypes, has been isolated in Bangladesh (4,5), Mozambique (6), Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, and Zambia (7). These strains were variously labeled as Matlab variants, hybrids, or altered El Tor strains. Our study analyzed, in chronological order, strains of V. cholerae O1 that were isolated over 17 years (1989–2005). We used strains isolated during diarrhea surveillance conducted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kolkata (Calcutta), to determine precisely when the hybrid strains appeared in this region. A total of 171 strains of V. cholerae O1, which were selected to cover different months of each year, were included in this study, along with 2 reference strains for classical and El Tor biotypes. The V. cholerae strains were confirmed serologically by slide agglutination using a specific polyvalent antiserum to V. cholerae O1. We focused on the ctxB gene. The strains were examined by mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA)–based PCR for detecting the ctxB allele; a common forward primer was used for 2 alleles, FW-Com (5′-ACTATCTTCAGCATATGCACATGG-3′); and 2 allele-specific primers, Re-cla (5′-cctggtacttctacttgaaacg-3′) and Re-elt (5′-CCTGGTACTTCTACTTGAAACA-3′), were used for classical and El Tor biotypes, respectively (8). Results of the MAMA-PCR are summarized in the Table. All of the 123 V. cholerae O1 strains from 1995 through 2005 yielded only the classical type of ctxB, which indicates that since 1995 the classical type has completely replaced the El Tor type ctxB (Table). To reconfirm our PCR-based results, we selected 25 representative strains for DNA sequencing of the ctxB gene. The deduced amino acid sequences were aligned with the CtxB sequences of reference strains N16961 (El Tor) and O395 (classical). The deduced amino acid sequences of all 25 strains were identical to those of the classical reference strain; histidine was at position 39 and threonine was at position 68. Thus, the results from DNA sequencing of the ctxB gene confirmed the MAMA-PCR results. Table Prevalence of different types of ctxB alleles among Vibrio cholerae O1 strains, Kolkata, India, 1989–2005 Our results highlight a noteworthy event in the evolution of recent V. cholerae strains. Analysis of type ctxB that had been circulating in Kolkata for 17 years (1989–2005) showed that in 1989 only the El Tor allele of ctxB was present. Our results further indicate that classical type ctxB emerged in 1990, although El Tor type ctxB was still present in almost equal numbers during that year. During 1991, a unique event took place when the classical type became predominant, along with strains having both classical and El Tor type ctxB. In 1994, isolation of strains with El Tor ctxB became rare, and the major ctxB allele was of the classical type. V. cholerae O1 strains from 1995 onward were found to carry classical type ctxB, which totally replaced the El Tor type ctxB allele. Replacement of El Tor type ctxB by the classical allele has been reported in Bangladesh since 2001 (5), but this event seems to have occurred earlier in Kolkata. Perhaps the new type of El Tor strains arose when V. cholerae strains with typical seventh pandemic El Tor genetic background were replaced with strains having the ctxB gene, possibly driven by selective pressure to survive and adapt better in host intestines. Considering the increase in the global prevalence of cholera (9), the origin and spread of these new variants of V. cholerae strains should be tracked in the population by genome analysis. Finally, this study has described a brief period from February 1991 through December 1992 when El Tor strains had CTX prophages of both classical and El Tor types (data not shown), along with the ctxB of both biotypes. Notably, this period coincided with an unprecedented event in the history of cholera—the genesis of the O139 serogroup. After this serogroup reemerged in 1996, it harbored 2 types of CTX prophages, namely, El Tor and Calcutta (10). Furthermore, these strains with ctxB of both biotypes might also have had a pivotal role behind the emergence of El Tor strains with classical ctxB. Further studies are warranted to determine whether any distinct relationship exists between these overlapping events.

Review: 2008-2009 State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands and Oceans by the Wildlife Conservation Society and edited by Eva Fearn

Review: 2008-2009 State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands and Oceans By the Wildlife Conservation Society and Eva Fearn (Ed.) Reviewed by Elery Hamilton-Smith Charles Sturt University, Australia Wildlife Conservation Society, and Fearn, Eva (Ed.). 2008-2009 State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands and Oceans. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2008. 288 pp. ISBN 978-1-59726-135-7. US$29.95, paper. Recycled, acid-free paper. This book provides a comprehensive data-based review and assessment of the state of the world environment. It is also a model of clarity – easy to read and with excellent photographs. Like early volumes in this series, it also includes a review of a specialist area, and in this volume, that is focused upon the growth of new infectious diseases in both humans and other animals. Not surprisingly, my overall impression is that in the year under review, we have experienced a remarkable mixture of winning and losing. Further, it is encouraging to recognise that there is some genuine progress in the state of our natural resources. Sadly, in spite of the fact that some of the losses have arisen as a result of climate change, tectonic events or other essentially natural phenomena, most of them are simply an outcome of human ignorance, greed, mistakes and/or stupidity. The analyses in this volume provide a valuable demonstration of the basic tenet of ecology, that “everything is connected to everything else!” This in turn leads to an equally basic principle underlying resource management practice, namely that “you can never change only one thing!” However, perhaps the best aspect of this book is its focus upon infectious diseases and their impact upon both human society and natural biodiversity. Changes in land use open up new opportunities for other changes including the movement of zoonotic pathogens from one species to another. We have seen the incredible impacts of Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Nipah Virus and Avian Influenza. Yet, we still place great reliance upon the use of stop-gap strategies, e.g., chemical insecticides, rather than recognising and acting upon the extent to which land use changes will either suppress or foster new emergences of disease. Often a new emergence comes hand-in-hand with processes of adaptation and hence the emergence of new strains of familiar disease conditions. One of my own former students was the third to die as a result of infection with a new strain of the ubiquitous E. coli. His illness took only 12 hours to advance from the first symptoms to the point of no return. Despite my own very long experience in land resource issues, I found many new surprises in this work. As one simple example, I was amazed by the extent to which the prevalence of cholera is directly associated with population booms in marine plankton (p. 117). But it has also served to reinforce some of my long held beliefs. One of these is the significance of the precarious balance between nature-based tourism and nature conservation. On one hand, nature-based tourism is a fundamental tool in conservation education. On the other, it may be a source of massive degradation of the environment when it is managed primarily for commercial profit and without proper understanding of the destination site. I can only recommend this book to all those interested in the state of our environment. Elery Hamilton-Smith , Professor, Charles Sturt University, Australia. P.O. Box 36, Carlton South, Victoria 3053, Australia. TEL: 613-9489-77850. Electronic Green Journal, Issue 27, Fall 2008, ISSN: 1076-7975

Role of water and sanitation in the incidence of cholera in refugee camps

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cholera in two groups: (i) people using covered latrine and piped water; (ii) people using uncovered surface latrine and pond and tubewell water. The study population consisted of cholera cases admitted to the ICDDR, B hospital from three refugee camps. In the one camp with sanitation facilities, the cholera rate was 1.6 per 1,000, whereas in the two camps without facilities the rates were 4.0 and 4·3 per 1,000. Following demolition of the camps, the cholera rates decreased significantly in the camps' geographical zones. Cholera was not totally eliminated, even in the one camp with sanitation facilities, suggesting that health education, as well as proper sanitation, is necessary to eradicate cholera.

Bacterio-pathological Studies on Salmonellosis, Colibacillosis and Pasteurellosis in Natural and Experimental Infections in Chickens

Bacterio-pathological investigation on 1751 dead chickens during one year period from January to December 2002 at the BRAC Poultry Disease Diagnostic Centre, Gazipur showed that 39.81% (n=697) cases with seven types of different bacteriological diseases of which salmonellosis (n=385), colibacillosis (n=147) and fowl cholera (n=114) were found significantly higher rate of prevalence then staphylococcosis (n=6), gangrenous dermatitis (n=17), necrotic enteritis (n=24) and infectious coryza (n=4). Accordingly, avian salmonellosis, colibacillosis and pasteurellosis were selected for detailed investigation. Age wise prevalence of avian salmonellosis showed highest infection rate in adult layers (53.25%) in comparison to brooding (14.55%), growing (16.10%) and pullet (16.10%) chickens. The avian colibacillosis was found widely prevalent in all age groups of chickens (9.52 to 36.73%) with specially high prevalence rate in adult layer birds (36.73%). Fowl cholera was recorded in chickens more than two weeks of age with significantly (p < 0.01) highest occurrence in adult chickens. Seasonal influence showed significantly (p < 0.01) highest proportionate prevalence of salmonellosis during summer (48.05%) in comparison to rainy (28.31%) and winter (23.66%) seasons. Colibacillosis was recorded more or less uniformly in all the three seasons of the year with significantly (p < 0.01) higher rate during summer (40.82%) season. Similarly, the prevalence of fowl cholera was also found significantly (p < 0.01) highest during summer (49.12%) in comparison to rainy (26.32%) and winter (24.56%) seasons. The isolated causative agents of avian salmonellosis (Salmonella pullorum), avian colibacillosis (Escherichia coli) and avian pasteurellosis (Pasteurella multocida) were characterized by bacteriological methods which were also subjected to pathogenicity study in 52-day old broiler chickens. Pathogenicity study showed that the incubation period of these three bacterial diseases were recorded as 96 hours and clinical signs appeared on 4th day of inoculation and observed that S. pullorum, E. coli and P. multocida resulted 100% morbidity in chickens. Key words: Characterization; pathogenicity; salmonellosis; colibacillosis; pasteurellosis; chickens doi: 10.3329/bjvm.v2i1.1926 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2004). 2(1) : 01-08

TREATMENT OF ASIATIC CHOLERA WITH SULFAGUANIDINE

After obtaining a favorable result in a number of cases of bacillary dysentery by the administration of sulfaguanidine, I undertook experiments on its efficacy in other acute infections in which the intestinal tract is involved by bacilli. The unexpected prevalence of Asiatic cholera in Kweilin last summer gave me an opportunity to study another kind of acute infection for which no effectual remedy had previously been found. I was surprised to find sulfaguanidine efficacious in the first case of Asiatic cholera in which I administered it. At the same time I doubted whether my observation could be sufficiently adequate. After several experiments, however, I had to concede that sulfaguanidine could give an unexpected efficacy in Asiatic cholera and that an effective remedy had been found whereby our bitter enemy cholera, which had been killing a great many people in the world for many years, could eventually be subdued. Twenty-two patients

The Quarantine Situation. A General Review of the Subject as Affected by the World Prevalence of Cholera, Yellow Fever, Plague, and Typhus Fever

The Quarantine Situation. A General Review of the Subject as Affected by the World Prevalence of Cholera, Yellow Fever, Plague, and Typhus Fever

Recent Prevalence of Cholera in Europe

Recent Prevalence of Cholera in Europe

Cholera Epidemics in Japan, with a Monograph on the Influence of the Habits and Customs of Races on the Prevalence of Cholera

Cholera Epidemics in Japan, with a Monograph on the Influence of the Habits and Customs of Races on the Prevalence of Cholera