Wuhan In Fear As Cholera-Causing Bacteria Is Found In Market

The detection of a cholera-causing bacterium in a student and in separate samples from softshell turtles at the same food market in Wuhan, China where the COVID-19 virus was discovered has stoked fears of a new outbreak that could overwhelm the city and possibly the entire country, Antony Ashkenaz reported for UK’s Daily Express on July 16, 2022.

Photo Insert: The store in the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market where the infections were discovered has been ordered to close for three days.

In reaction to the discovery, local officials have sterilized the food market where samples of softshell turtles tested positive for a cholera-causing bacteria. Officials have not yet discovered any cases of cholera among those who have had contact with softshell turtles.

The store where the infections were discovered has been ordered to close for three days.

Cholera is primarily caused by drinking contaminated water or consuming contaminated food, especially seafood. The sickness is known to cause death in extreme cases due to dehydration and severe diarrhea; pregnant women and young children are especially susceptible.

Wuhan, the core of the COVID-19 outbreak, has been on high alert for the past week after a university student was diagnosed with cholera.

Authorities began testing students in the same dormitory following the diagnosis. Three close contacts were isolated, while a total of 254 students, teachers, and campus store employees tested negative.

They have likewise made it clear that the vibrio cholerae O139 strain, which was detected in the student and the contaminated samples, is unrelated.

In mainland China, cholera reports are uncommon, with no deaths reported and only five cases found in 2021 and eleven in 2020.

Andrew Greenhill, a professor of microbiology at Federation University Australia, stated, "The detection of Vibrio cholerae O139...does again remind us that wet markets, while culturally and economically important in Asia, have been associated with the various public health risks.”

He added that there is currently no cause for great alarm over the cholera case, but emphasized the significance of continued observation.

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