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Tag: diarrhoea

  • UNICEF: Over 3.6 m Nigerians in need of hygiene services

    The United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) says over 3.6 million people lack access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene services in Nigeria.

    UNICEF’s Representative in the country, Mr Mohamed Fall, made this known on Friday in a statement to commemorate World Water Day scheduled for March 22 with the 2019 theme: “Living no one behind”.

    Fall identified 1.1 million as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of violence and conflict, noting that many of them are out-of-reach in remote areas still impacted by conflict.

    “About 800,000 people are in hard-to-reach areas and 79 per cent of these are children and women.

    “In Nigeria, conflict has created huge challenges for people living in the Northeast of the country, where violence has affected their ability to access water and sanitation, leading to diseases such as cholera.

    “In the North-east 5,365 people were affected by cholera, with 61 dying in 2017, while 12,643 people were affected in 2018 and 175 died of the disease,” Fall said.

    UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Henrietta Fore noted that children below the age of 15 in countries affected by protracted conflict on the average, are three times more likely to die from diarrhoea  due to lack of  access to WASH facilities  than as a result of  direct violence.

    Fore, who quoted UNICEF’s latest report titled: “Water Under Fire”, said the odds were already stacked against children living through prolonged conflicts.

    “The odds are already stacked against children living through prolonged conflicts with many unable to reach a safe water source.

    READ ALSO: UNICEF: we’re committed to clean environment in Anambra

    “The reality is that there are more children who die from lack of access to safe water than by bullets,” she said.

    Fore said that UNICEF has intensified efforts to scale-up life-saving responses, especially in IDP camps to ensure quality and sustainability of WASH services and facilities.

    She further noted that the agency was also working to minimise the risk of WASH-related diseases and provide preventive measures against cholera and other water-borne diseases.

    According to her, without safe and effective WASH services, children are at risk of malnutrition and preventable diseases including diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera and polio.

    “Girls are particularly affected: They are vulnerable to sexual violence as they collect water or venture out to use latrines. They deal with affronts to their dignity as they bathe and manage menstrual hygiene.

    “And they miss classes during menstruation if their schools have no suitable water and sanitation facilities.

    “These threats are exacerbated during conflict when deliberate and indiscriminate attacks destroy infrastructure, injure personnel and cut off the power that keeps water, sanitation and hygiene systems running.

    “Armed conflict also limits access to essential repair equipment and consumables such as fuel or chlorine – which can be depleted, rationed, diverted or blocked from delivery. Far too often, essential services are deliberately denied,” she noted.

    “Deliberate attacks on water and sanitation are attacks on vulnerable children. Water is a basic right. It is a necessity for life,” she added.

    NAN

  • Consumption of processed foods can lead to pile -Expert

    An Abuja- based medical doctor, Dr Nkechi Anthony, on Wednesday, warned that consumption of processed foods in daily diets could lead to haemorrhoid or pile.

    Anthony told our reporter  in Abuja that low-fibre diet or inadequate fluid intake could also cause constipation which could contribute to haemorrhoids.

    She said that haemorrhoids promoted straining on the toilet and aggravated the haemorrhoids by producing hard stools that can further irritate the swollen veins.

    According to Anthony, haemorrhoids are enlarged veins that occur in the rectum due to constant strains during bowel movement.

    Read Also:‘Processed foods contain bad cholesterol’

    She said that it could be external and internal in outlook, stressing whatever form it emerged, it could be very uncomfortable to patients.

    She said adequate water intake, consumption of healthy meals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle would prevent the disease.

    “Most people do not get enough fibre in their diet and they do not even eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits.

    “Diet, intake of plenty of water and reduction of salt intake are antidotes. Salt leads to fluid retention which in turn causes body to swell, including the blood vessels, thereby causing haemorrhoids.’’

    Anthony further said that haemorrhoids could also be caused by sitting on the toilet for a long time, carrying heavy items, being overweight, having diarrhoea and constipation.

    “Those ones that occur in the rectum are called internal haemorrhoids while those that occur around the anus are external haemorrhoids.

    “Symptoms are: swollen, painful and bleeding rectum, causing a feeling of pressure.

     

    “There could be the possibility that pile could affect about 50 per cent of men before they reach 50 years.

    “You might notice a streak of blood on the outside of your stool or on the toilet paper when you wipe your bottom or splashes of blood on the toilet bowl,’’ Anthony said.

    She said that there could also be a feeling of discomfort when cleaning up, after passing stool hence the need to avoid the use of toilet tissues in preference for constant use of water for cleaning oneself.

    Highlighting the causes of haemorrhoids in pregnancy, she said that the process of childbirth and the increased pressure of the weight of the baby in the anal area could trigger pile.

    According to the medical practitioner, it naturally dissolved after delivery of the baby.

    The doctor said that it was important for people to avoid straining while passing stool, adding that increased pressure on the rectum could lead to inflammation of the haemorrhoids.

    She stated that people should be aware that they should pass stool immediately nature called, not delaying it till some other time, as such could harden their stool.

    Anthony said that most haemorrhoids were manageable; stressing that it was only in severe cases that surgery could be considered.

    An Abuja- based medical doctor, Dr Nkechi Anthony, on Wednesday, warned that consumption of processed foods in daily diets could lead to haemorrhoid or pile.

    Anthony told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that low-fibre diet or inadequate fluid intake could also cause constipation which could contribute to haemorrhoids.

    She said that haemorrhoids promoted straining on the toilet and aggravated the haemorrhoids by producing hard stools that can further irritate the swollen veins.

    According to Anthony, haemorrhoids are enlarged veins that occur in the rectum due to constant strains during bowel movement.

    She said that it could be external and internal in outlook, stressing whatever form it emerged, it could be very uncomfortable to patients.

    She said adequate water intake, consumption of healthy meals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle would prevent the disease.

    “Most people do not get enough fibre in their diet and they do not even eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits.

    “Diet, intake of plenty of water and reduction of salt intake are antidotes. Salt leads to fluid retention which in turn causes body to swell, including the blood vessels, thereby causing haemorrhoids.’’

    Anthony further said that haemorrhoids could also be caused by sitting on the toilet for a long time, carrying heavy items, being overweight, having diarrhoea and constipation.

    “Those ones that occur in the rectum are called internal haemorrhoids while those that occur around the anus are external haemorrhoids.

    “Symptoms are: swollen, painful and bleeding rectum, causing a feeling of pressure.

     

    “There could be the possibility that pile could affect about 50 per cent of men before they reach 50 years.

    “You might notice a streak of blood on the outside of your stool or on the toilet paper when you wipe your bottom or splashes of blood on the toilet bowl,’’ Anthony said.

    She said that there could also be a feeling of discomfort when cleaning up, after passing stool hence the need to avoid the use of toilet tissues in preference for constant use of water for cleaning oneself.

    Highlighting the causes of haemorrhoids in pregnancy, she said that the process of childbirth and the increased pressure of the weight of the baby in the anal area could trigger pile.

    According to the medical practitioner, it naturally dissolved after delivery of the baby.

    The doctor said that it was important for people to avoid straining while passing stool, adding that increased pressure on the rectum could lead to inflammation of the haemorrhoids.

    She stated that people should be aware that they should pass stool immediately nature called, not delaying it till some other time, as such could harden their stool.

    Anthony said that most haemorrhoids were manageable; stressing that it was only in severe cases that surgery could be considered.

  • Eight deadliest diseases in Nigeria

    We have gotten accustomed to statements like “the end time is near, nations will be against nations, all manner of sicknesses will plague the land and more”. Coincidentally, as a nation, we have had to battle with critical and life threatening diseases that has stolen the limelight of other lesser diseases that are also killer beings.

    In the year 2015, we had the case of Ebola that placed the fear on the foreheads of Nigerians and other West African countries. It surely wasn’t easy to contain such disease but it was reduced yet it is raising its ugly head in moments of opportunities.

    In the year 2016, we had the case of Lassa fever that seemed to make Nigerians pick the option of keeping their environment neat than allowing rodents visit their foodstuffs.

    The truth still remains that there are several lesser known diseases yet to come to limelight that are wiping lives on daily basis.

    1. Malaria

    Malaria is a major health problem mostly in Africa where thirty countries in Sub-Saharan Africa account for 90% of global malaria deaths. It is also important to note that Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, and Uganda account for nearly 50% of the global malaria deaths. It is estimated that up to 100 million cases of malaria resulting in over 300,000 deaths in Nigeria every year. 97% of Nigeria’s population are exposed to the risk of having malaria and the remaining 3% live on the malaria free highlands in Nigeria.

    Sadly, the “ordinary Malaria you know is the ultimate killer of all times with millions of deaths in its portfolio”. This mosquito transmitted disease causes symptoms that generally start off as a general feeling of un-wellness (malaise) and later progressing to fever and headache, which in severe cases can end up with coma or death.

    Although, research has proven that the proponent of this slow poison is dirty environment and stagnant waters in gutters and drainages.

    To curb the cases of malaria, there are different seminars to educate the masses on the symptoms, prevention and causes measures, issuing of free mosquito nets and proper adherence to sanitation days.

    2. Perinatal Conditions

    As happy as the outcome of childbirth is, some people come out with health challenges while some are free from the health challenges

    Perinatal conditions are events occurring around the time of childbirth. There is no doubt that childbirth can be a very magical moment mostly cherished between young parents and a newborn.

    However, out of over half a million pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, it may interest you to know that there are over 40,000 of those occurring in Nigeria and some sources including official data from National Population Commission (NPC) have suggested that over 140 people die every day from pregnancy-related conditions in Nigeria alone making Nigeria the second country with the highest maternal mortality rate (after India) and the highest in Africa. This is a substantial proportion when viewed from a global standpoint. It has been established that 70 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Nigeria are as a result of 4 conditions: haemorrhage, sepsis, eclampsia and complications of abortion and can easily be prevented.

    3.Cerebrovascular Disease/Accident (Stroke)

    Cerebrovascular disease may sound more technical. It is still the same as stroke which occurs when there is a loss of blood supply to a part of the brain which could either result from blockage or rupture of a blood vessel commonly known as Ischaemic or Haemorrhagic stroke respectively.

    If blood flow is interrupted, for longer than a few minutes, the brain cells begin to suffer from irreparable damage which could result in permanent damage.

    4. Diarrhoeal Diseases

    Diarrhoeal disease is a very common cause of death most especially in third world countries while it is the second most common cause of deaths in children less than 1-year-old worldwide. According to the latest WHO data deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases in Nigeria reached 173,878 or 10.19% of total deaths and the age adjusted Death Rate is 101.48 per 100,000 of the population. This data ranks Nigeria as the 19th country in the world.
    Deadliest Diseases

    5. Respiratory Tract Infection/Pneumonia

    Respiratory tract infection including pneumonia constituted the second leading cause of death in Nigeria. There are two major types of lower respiratory infections: bronchitis and pneumonia. Some of the easily recognizable symptoms of these infections include a runny nose and sneezing, headache, and sore throat. Symptoms may include fever in more severe cases like pneumonia. In most developing countries, these diseases can easily be lethal unlike in developed nations.

    6. Measles

    Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease affecting up to 90% of people sharing a living space with an infected person. Across the globe, measles kills 22 people every hour or about 197,000 people every year; remaining a leading cause of death among children most especially the under fives.

    Despite the availability of vaccine, the spread of measles is fuelled by poverty, lack of access to medicine and lack of education though there has been a drastic fall in the cases of measles by up to 74% within the last 15 years, the disease stills claims thousands of lives.

    7. Tuberculosis (TB)

    The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the world’s 7 billion population is currently infected with TB and that someone in the world is getting newly infected with TB every second that passes more of which happens again in Sub-Saharan Africa.
    However, the good news is that being infected does not mean that the disease is going to manifest as the individual to an obvious state like other debilitating illness or condition that suppress the immunity like HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and some other chronic (long-standing diseases) like poorly managed diabetes. The bitter truth is that TB is next to HIV/AIDS when it comes to number of deaths caused. Back in 2012, there were around 1.3 million TB-related deaths worldwide most of which occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and other developing countries.

    8. HIV/AIDS

    HIV/AIDS was first reported in the 1980s and the fact remains that since then, AIDS has caused over 30 million deaths. This is more than the population of Gabon, Botswana, Gambia, Qatar, Jamaica, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway and Denmark put together. Though its mortality rate has reduced because of education and anti-viral medications used to combat it, it still kills millions of people year on year.

    According to UNAIDS, In 2012, there were 35.3 million people living with HIV and since the start of the epidemic, around 75 million [63 million–89 million] have become infected with HIV. In 2012, 1.6 million people died from AIDS-related causes worldwide; over 1 million deaths occur in Africa on a yearly bases and Nigeria recorded 239,700 deaths in the same year. This is far more than every single Ebola outbreak in history added together.

    In as much as the media doesn’t equalize the treatment given to all ailments in communicating its effect and symptoms, there are other lesser diseases that surely kill faster.” The smaller, the mightier”.

    To this end, it is advisable to always go for checkups every 3 month, likewise reporting oneself to the hospital in cases of confusing symptoms as well as sick moments.

  • Diarrhoea affects children in Plateau IDP camp – NGOs

    No fewer than 100 children in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are feared to have been affected by diarrhoea, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    Four Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) confirmed the development to our reporter on Monday in Jos during a free medical outreach at the camps.

    The NGOs are Saphira Global Center For Social Development; Voice For the Girl Child Foundation; Damark Pharmacy and African Child; and Mother Care Safety Initiative, respectively.

    NAN reports that several persons were recently displaced from their homes following the recent attacks on 11 communities in Barkin Ladi and some parts of Bokkos and Riyom Local Government Areas of the state.

    More than 10,000 persons, including women and children, are reportedly being sheltered at the different IDP camps across the state.

    Spokesperson for the NGOs, Mrs Mildred Bako, in an interview with our reporter, attributed the illness among the affected patients within their short stay at the camps to the deplorable health condition of the environment.

    Bako disclosed that many of the affected patients were between the ages of one month to five years.

    She noted that the camps lacked basic amenities such as portable drinking water and clean environment, hence the “victims became vulnerable to contacting all kind of diseases’’.

    Bako described the various camps as an “eyesore”, saying that the hygienic condition was poor and needed urgent attention from government and kind-hearted individuals.

    “There is practically absence of basic amenities at the various camps, and so making the displaced persons fall prey to all kinds of diseases.

    “When we got information that children at various camps are vomiting and passing watery stool, we swung into action to arrest the situation.

    “We assembled a team of medical professionals, who diagnosed most of the children and discovered it is diarrhoea.

    “We have in our little way developed a mechanism to treat the children and even adults diagnosed with symptoms of malaria and other diseases,” she said.

    Bako explained that Riyom camp, housing over 2,000 persons, was the worst hit, with the highest number of children infected with the disease.

    She urged government and spirited individuals to also consider donating health materials and improvement of the health condition of the displaced persons rather than concentrate on donation of food items alone.

    The State Emergency Management Agency (PLASEMA) and the affected local councils are yet to react to the development.

  • Diarrhoea kills one pupil in Kaduna

    A pupil of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kawo, Kaduna State, died at the weekend following the outbreak of cholera in the school.

    About 40 others are hospitalised.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Jafaru Sani confirmed this.

    When our correspondent visited the school yesterday, officials of Red Cross Nigeria, who were at the school with other emergency organisations, said 42 other pupils were suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting due to the unhygienic environment.

    As at last night, health workers had been deployed in the school to manage the situation.

    The head teacher and officials of the Ministry of Health declined to comment.

    The Deputy Director, Disease Control Centre, Ibrahim Suleiman, said 39 pupils have been taken to the hospital.

    He said: “We have 39 pupils on admission for diarrhoea and vomitting. We are yet to confirm the real cause but there is a lot of contamination around the water source and this might be a serious contributory factor.

    “Apart from these 39 pupils on admission, we are also investigating another 89 cases not related to diarrhoea and vomiting.”

    The pupils are being treatment at the General Hospital in Kawo, Kaduna North.

  • Diarrhoea kills one pupil in Kaduna

    A pupil of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Kawo, Kaduna State, died at the weekend following the outbreak of cholera in the school.

    About 40 others are hospitalised.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Jafaru Sani confirmed this.

    When our correspondent visited the school yesterday, officials of Red Cross Nigeria, who were at the school with other emergency organisations, said 42 other pupils were suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting due to the unhygienic environment.

    As at last night, health workers had been deployed in the school to manage the situation.

    The head teacher and officials of the Ministry of Health declined to comment.

    The Deputy Director, Disease Control Centre, Ibrahim Suleiman, said 39 pupils have been taken to the hospital.

    He said: “We have 39 pupils on admission for diarrhoea and vomitting. We are yet to confirm the real cause but there is a lot of contamination around the water source and this might be a serious contributory factor.

    “Apart from these 39 pupils on admission, we are also investigating another 89 cases not related to diarrhoea and vomiting.”

    The pupils are being treatment at the General Hospital in Kawo, Kaduna North.

  • Constipation: Hard and dry bowel movement

    In the past weeks, we have been discussing issues relating to our digestive system. We have taken a look at vomiting, abdominal pain and also diarrhoea. In this week, we will examine constipation which is another common symptom that often takes healthcare user to the healthcare provider.

    Constipation is a common issue in both adults and children including newborn. Elderly people of both genders are often the targets of constipation. Women by their very nature and biological function may suffer constipation more at the time of pregnancy.   Overall, constipation can be concerning as it could be very distressing to the victims.

    What is constipation? Constipation is infrequent passage of stools/infrequent bowel movement that is hard and dry. We all have our habits. There are some persons who may pass faeces once a day. There are some passing faeces on every other day and there are others who may just move their bowel twice in a week. If there is significant change in these habits to say, a bowel movement once a week or once in every two weeks despite regular intake of food and water by the sufferer, then the condition of constipation has ensued. As a rule of thumb, constipation should be considered if you have not moved your bowel in a consecutive three days.

    What causes constipation? The first but by no means the most severe cause, is simply, a change in nutrition and habits of eating. If you used to eat three square meals, but you now eat once a day, it follows that your bowel movement will correspondingly change. If you eat noting, you pass nothing.

    If you eat frequently and you eat big, it means you may go to move your bowel more frequently in line with your eating and drinking habits.

    The content of what you eat matter a great deal. If you eat less fibre and vegetables, you move your bowel less as a result. If you eat more of fibre and vegetables, you move your bowel regularly in tandem. Similarly, if you consume a lot of dairy products, you may become constipated. Food may remain in the bowel more in a person who is less active than a very active individual.

    There are legitimately prescribed medications such as codeine, antidepressants and iron tablets that could result in constipation. Still, antacids for peptic ulcer, calcium and aluminium containing medicines which may give rise to constipation.  Pregnancy is a well-known event that gives pregnant women constipation concerns.  Some medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, underactive thyroid, multiple sclerosis and nerve related diseases of the bowel that may result in constipation.

    Sadly, cancer of the bowel or surrounding structures and obstructive disease of the bowel are known to cause constipation. As I mentioned earlier, in no other group of individuals is constipation more troublesome than in elderly that are by nature less active, eat less, likely to suffer from cancer, Parkinson’s and use more of constipation causing medications.  Irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety may cause both constipation and diarrhoea.

    Children and newborn do also suffer from constipation. Newborn fed on artificial foods rather than breast milk, could end up with constipation as are children fed with unbalanced diets. Malnutrition could cause both diarrhoea and constipation in children.  Intestinal obstructions in children are known causes of constipation.

    How does constipation presents? Abdominal swelling, abdominal pain or discomfort, low appetite, tiredness and irritability may result.

    What are the solutions? The solutions are in line with the causes. Drink a lot of water with your meals and in-between meals. You need 2-3liters of water or more per day in our environment in Nigeria. Consider balanced diets. More specifically, add fibre, fruits and vegetables to your meals.

    If you are taking medications that causes you constipation, why not talk to your doctor for a change?

    I have written on several occasions about the benefits of exercise, I suppose you should consider physical exercise to help relieve you of constipation.  On the other hand, if you suffer from any of the illnesses listed, you may need to talk to your doctor to chart further management options.

    Acute or sudden onset of constipation with or without vomiting may be a symptom of something more lethal like intestinal obstructions.  You should not delay in seeking help. Constipation with bloody stool or weight loss may be related to cancer.  Talk to a doctor urgently.

    For medical management, doctors and allied clinicians have various measures that they can take to relieve you of constipations even if your constipation is acute or chronic.

  • Diarrhoea: The restless gut

    Diarrhoea is another common disorder in our environment. While not exclusive to filthy environment, diarrhoea is a commonly occurring illness in poor personal and environmental hygiene.

    What is diarrhoea? World Health Organisation (WHO) defines diarrhoea as “the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea, nor is the passing of loose, “pasty” stools by breastfed babies.”

    The disease of diarrhoea is a killer disease, especially in children whereby it kills over 525, 000 children globally every year. In Nigeria, the disease is a major cause of death in children and adults. Like all symptoms, diarrhoea is an indicator of an underlying infection in the food tract (intestinal) or an ongoing disease entity.

    How is diarrhoea contracted?  Diarrhoea being due to infection may be caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites. As I have mentioned above, disease of diarrhoea is a disease of poor hygiene. The disease is spread through infections bacteria (typhoid, E. coli, cholera and so forth), viruses and parasites that contaminates our food and water or spread from one person to the other as a result of poor hygiene.

     

    Types of diarrhoea:

    Acute watery diarrhoea

    This type lasts several hours or days, and includes cholera. Another type is acute bloody diarrhoea – also called dysentery; and lastly persistent diarrhoea which lasts 14 days or longer.

    Consequences of diarrhoea as a disease state.  The most serious results of suffering from diarrohea is the loss of water and nutrients such as salts (sodium, potassium and bicarbonate) through stooling, vomiting, sweating and low intake of the same leading to dehydration, weakness, confusion and collapse. Other results of diarrhoea are sunken eyes, loss of weight, poor appetite for food and water. The person may also become restless, irritable or drinks eagerly.

    Causes of diarrhoea: Infection: As I had earlier mentioned, diarrhoea is a symptom of infections caused by a lot of germs, most of which are spread by faeces and water that are contaminated. Infection is even more likely in places where there is inadequate sanitation and hygiene. In places suffering with poor safe water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, diarrhoea is not far away. Examples of agents or organisms that causes the illness are Rotavirus and Escherichia coli, which are the two most common agents causing moderate-to-severe diarrhoea in low-income countries such as Nigeria. Other germs such as cryptosporidium and shigella species may also play some important roles.

     

    Malnutrition

    On the average, majority of Nigerians earn poorly. This is also reflected on their children who may also suffer from poor nutrition.  Children who die from diarrhoea often suffer from underlying malnutrition, which makes them more vulnerable to diarrhoea. Ironically, each diarrhoeal episode, makes malnutrition even worse. On the whole, diarrhoea is a leading cause of malnutrition in children under five years old, the world over, including Nigeria.

    What are the source of contamination?  Water contaminated with human faeces/stools, for example, from sewage, septic tanks and latrines, is of particular concern. Faeces near food, faeces on the roads, are potential sources of contamination of foods and water. Animal faeces from say from cows, dogs, goats and so forth also contain microorganisms/germs that can cause diarrhoea.

    Diarrhoeal disease can also spread from one person to the other, made worse by poor personal hygiene. Food is another major cause of diarrhoea when it is prepared or stored in unhygienic conditions. All foods should be stored securely in say in refrigerator if appropriate. Re-heat stored food thoroughly so that the germs and toxins may be inactivated. Poorly kept home water storage and handling is also an important risk factor for diarrhoea. Seafood such as crabs and fish from polluted water may also contribute to the illness.

     

    Solutions

    Drink only clean, well- treated and well sourced water. Dispose your feaces thoroughly. If possible, eat only from home or in food vendors with proven hygienic environment and food handling. The fact that a food vendor is popular or well branded is not a license of good food handling. Wash hands with soap after visiting toilet. Hand washing prevents infection generally. There is no substitute for good personal hygiene and clean environment. For children, vaccination against rotavirus is available. For newborn, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life helps prevent diarrheoa disease.

    For treatment: Immediate commencement of rehydration is crucial. Oral rehydration therapy with salt, water and sugar solution should be commenced soonest in both adult and more importantly in children.  Zinc tablet taken as appropriate may stem the tide of the disease of diarrhoea. When these domestic measures cannot stop the disease, immediate visit or call to health professional is needed. Treatment may include investigation of the cause and administration of antibiotics and intravenous fluids as the case may be. Do not delay. Diarrhoea is lethal and  it kills.

  • Blood group A people likely to have diarrhoea caused by E. coli

    A new study published on Thursday in the Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that a kind of E. coli, associated with “travelers’ diarrhoea” caused more severe disease in people with blood type A.

    The bacteria release a protein that latches onto intestinal cells in people with blood type A, but not blood type O or B, according to a study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

    A vaccine targeting that protein could potentially protect people with type A blood against the deadliest effects of enterotoxigenic E. coli (Escherichia coli) infection, according to the study.

    “We think this protein is responsible for this blood-group difference in disease severity,” said the study’s senior author, James Fleckenstein, an associate professor of medicine at Washington University.

    Enterotoxigenic E. coli are responsible for millions of cases of diarrhea and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, mainly of young children.

    It primarily infects people living in or visiting developing countries.

    Some people infected with the bacterium develop severe, cholera-like, watery diarrhea that can be lethal.
    Others experience unpleasant symptoms but recover easily, while some don’t get sick at all.

    The researchers found that people with blood type A got sick sooner and more seriously than those of other blood types.

    More than eight out of 10 (81 per cent) of blood group A people developed diarrhea that required treatment, as compared with about half of people with blood group B or O.

    Blood groups are based on the sugars that decorate the surface of red blood cells and other cells.

    People with group A blood have sugars that are distinct from those present in either B or O blood groups.

    The researchers found that the bacteria produce a specific protein that sticks to A-type sugars, but not B- or O-type sugars, on intestinal cells.

    Since the protein also sticks to E. coli, it effectively fastens the bacteria to the intestinal wall, making it easy for them to deliver diarrhea-causing toxins to intestinal cells. (Xinhua/NAN)

  • U.S. University closed after 100 students fall ill

    A university in the U.S. state of Connecticut was closed on Monday after 100 students fell ill.

    The affected students at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury were suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pains.

    University President, John Clark, said in a statement on Monday that crews would be working to sanitise and disinfect two campuses.

    He added that the university authority would ensure that the institution was safe and secure for all before reopening.

    Clark said the decision to shut the university was the best and most conservative course of action to protect the community from infection and spread of the disease.”

    He urged students to return home to curb the spread of the infection and advised those unable to go to stay in their rooms.

    They were also alerted to seek emergency attention if they suffered from dehydration, dizziness, dry mouth, headaches and muscle cramps.

    No further information was provided on the nature of the infection.

    dpa/NAN