Biosphere Journal Entry
Biosphere Journal Entry
Cholera Keeps Spreading in Zimbabwe (February 7, 2009)
Electron microscope view of bacteria that cause cholera. Wikipedia.
Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak is showing no signs of slowing down. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the disease has infected over 50,000 people and killed more than 3,000 in the troubled nation. The outbreak has struck all ten of the country's provinces and has spread across its borders as well. The scary situation is quickly approaching WHO's "worst case scenario" of 60,000 cases.
Cholera is caused by waterborne bacteria that often spread in unsanitary conditions. The disease causes digestive symptoms that include cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. In the worst cases, it leads to a dangerous loss of water and shock. It can be fatal if not treated within 24 hours.
According to most observers, Zimbabwe's government is barely functioning and can't put the brakes on the outbreak on its own. The nation's sanitation and health care systems have fallen apart. Thousands of people can't get fresh drinking water. Broken sewage pipes and piles of rotting garbage are common sights across the nation.
The International Red Cross says the country desperately needs water purification kits and other medical supplies to keep the disease from spreading. Zimbabwe's health care and sanitation systems need to be rebuilt from the bottom up.
