Yesterday, health offic ials announced the first reported case of Cholera in the United States. A Florida woman returned home from Haiti and brought the disease with her. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Haiti has already suffered 1,100 deaths due to Cholera.

Cholera is bacterial infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea. Cholera occurs in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. Symptoms include glassy eyes, intense thirst, vomiting, diarrhea with a "fishy" odor, dry mucus membranes, and intense abdominal pain. Cholera kills by causing extreme dehydration in those infected. Cholera can not be spread from person to person like the flu. It passes through contaminated water and food sources.

If this disease isn't directly communicable between people, why is Bio-Clean telling you about it? Because Disease Outbreak Control starts with education. While these cases are still only reported in Florida, anyone who is coming back from Haiti has a chance of bringing back Cholera with them. If you know anyone who has been to Haiti recently, especially to help in relief efforts, let them know they should see a doctor!

For more information on why Bio-Clean is a national leader in Infection Control Services, check out www.crimescenecleaning.net

Labels: Bio-Spray, biospray, Cholera, disease, disease decontamination, infection control, mumps. disease control