Siamalube Beenzu, Ehinmitan Emmanuel, Runo Steven, Ngotho Maina, Onguso Justus
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 Apr 23;19(4):e0013029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013029. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Cholera is a virulent infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative, comma-shaped bacteria Vibrio cholerae, after ingesting contaminated food and/or water. If left untreated, it can kill within 5 days. Since mid-2021 the world has recorded a notable increase in the seventh cholera pandemic, with high case fatality rate especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Oral cholera vaccines are established but not readily available on the market, or if they are, they are not pocket friendly for low-resource-income countries. Hence, with the advent of green factory biotechnology, plant-derived edible vaccines are such a promising approach to supplement conventional vaccine methods. Human travellers are often the major transmitters as they move from region to region. Poor sanitation and inadequate clean water supply are services not readily available in most Sub-Saharan African countries, coupled with insufficient surveillance services, lack of early detection facilities, and the public not having ample awareness concerning sanitation and hygiene. This article highlights the epidemiology of cholera in Africa and expounds on what drives the outbreaks of cholera in this region. The discussion provides an in-depth analysis of the factors leading to the forsaken cholera drivers, emphasizing economic factors, culture, and environmental influences, particularly within the Sub-Saharan African communities. It presents a strategic blueprint approach that includes public health awareness, community participation, government involvement, and exploring emerging research tools. By merging these proposals into a unified context, a collective and practical methodology would be established to tackle the impact of cholera epidemiology that has been sidelined in Sub-Saharan Africa.
霍乱是一种由革兰氏阴性、逗号状细菌霍乱弧菌引起的烈性传染病，通常是在摄入受污染的食物和/或水之后感染。如果不进行治疗，患者可能在5天内死亡。自2021年年中以来，全球第七次霍乱大流行的病例显著增加，尤其是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，病死率很高。口服霍乱疫苗虽已研制成功，但在市场上不易获得，或者即便有，对于资源匮乏的低收入国家来说也价格不菲。因此，随着绿色工厂生物技术的出现，植物源可食用疫苗成为一种补充传统疫苗方法的很有前景的途径。人类旅行者在从一个地区前往另一个地区时，往往是主要传播者。大多数撒哈拉以南非洲国家缺乏良好的卫生设施和充足的清洁水供应，再加上监测服务不足、缺乏早期检测设施，而且公众对卫生和个人卫生的认识也不够。本文重点介绍了非洲霍乱的流行病学情况，并阐述了该地区霍乱暴发的驱动因素。讨论深入分析了导致被忽视的霍乱驱动因素，强调了经济因素、文化和环境影响，特别是在撒哈拉以南非洲社区。本文提出了一种战略蓝图方法，包括提高公众卫生意识、社区参与、政府介入以及探索新兴研究工具。通过将这些建议整合到一个统一的框架中，将建立一种集体且实用的方法来应对在撒哈拉以南非洲地区被边缘化的霍乱流行病学影响。
