China’s Wuhan University has reported a case of cholera, spurring a rush to trace contacts and stem potential spread.
The district’s health department said it has collected samples, undertaken contact tracing and closed some venues for disinfection after the student was found to have the disease. No further cases have been detected so far, it said.
Cholera is a virulent disease spread through contaminated food and water and causes acute diarrhea. It is relatively rare in China, with one case found in March and five detected last year. Its possible emergence in Wuhan, the original epicentre of Covid-19, comes as China’s health system faces unprecedented scrutiny with coronavirus infections flaring across the country despite a harsh zero-tolerance approach designed to stamp out the coronavirus.
Wuhan University said statement it has quarantined three close contacts of the patient and tested about 250 people over the weekend. The university is operating normally.
China classifies cholera as a “class A” disease, the strongest designation and one shared only by the bubonic plague.
Most people who are infected will have no or mild symptoms and can be treated with oral rehydration, though cholera can kill within hours if left untreated, according to the World Health Organisation.
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