Cholera: Current African Perspectives*

Cholera, which is caused by pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae, continues to threaten public health and socio-economic development in many developing countries, particularly those that lack access to potable water and adequate sanitation. The emergence of new V. cholerae strains and the severity of recent cholera outbreaks that began in August 2008 in Zimbabwe, coupled with climate change and elevated antimicrobial resistance, highlighted the dynamics of cholera. For these reasons, cholera was placed at the forefront of world public health agenda. This book discusses the recent cholera outbreaks in Africa, with particular emphasis on the causes, epidemiology, virulence factors, diagnosis, treatment and possible methods of curbing V. cholerae-induced epidemics in the future.