Acute watery diarrhoea and cholera in Viet Nam

Globally, diarrhoeal diseases are a leading cause of death, mainly in children and especially in developing countries. Annually, diarrhoeal diseases account for approximately 1.6 million deaths and 4 billion acute cases among children under five years old. Among the diarrhoeal diseases, cholera remains a global threat to public health and a key indicator of poor infrastructure and hygiene practices.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae. It affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if left untreated. However, up to 80% of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS). Severe cases will need rapid treatment with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Every year, there are 1.3 million to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide.

In Viet Nam, around 500 000 to 900 000 diarrhoea cases are reported annually. It is classified as a group B notifiable disease, and is required to be reported monthly with case and death numbers. Cholera was first reported in Viet Nam in 1850, and used to be endemic during the period before 1975 with hundreds of cases reported every year with occasional deaths. Cholera outbreaks were sporadically reported during the 1990s and early 2000s. The last cholera outbreak occurred in 2007 –  2008 with several thousands of cases reported from 19 northern provinces without deaths. Since 2012, no cholera cases have been reported in Viet Nam. Cholera is classified as a group A notifiable disease to be reported within 24 hours with case details from the time of diagnosis.      

Effective control measures rely on prevention, preparedness and response. Provision of safe water and sanitation is critical in reducing the impact of cholera and other waterborne diseases.