Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Health → Diseases

Vietnamese Oral Vaccine for Cholera is highly effective in Africa

livia rusu by livia rusu
June 24, 2014
in Diseases, News

A new, inexpensive and easy to use vaccine developed in Vietnam worked very well during a cholera outbreak in Africa, Doctors Without Borders reported.

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is generally transmitted through through food or water. In the developed world, the main cause is sea food, but cholera is most dangerous in the less developed world – especially in Africa, where it is spread through water. Cholera affects 3–5 million people worldwide every year. Needless to say, a vaccine (especially a cheap one) would do wonders.

This is where Shanchol kicks in. Shanchol was invented in Vietnam and produced in India, and it provided 86 percent protection against cholera. The study documenting the efficiency was conducted by Epicentre, the research arm of Doctors Without Borders, and the Health Ministry of Guinea; it was published in The New England Journal of Medicine last month found.

Until now, one of the main medicines against Cholera was Dukoral, made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. However, Dukoral costs over $5 and was generally aimed at the developed world. It is also highly acidic, so it should also be taken with a glass of alkaline soda to protect the stomach.

However, on the other hand, Shanchol is almost 3 times cheaper, costing less than $2, it comes in a small vial, it’s easier to produce, and it doesn’t have any adverse effects on the body. If produced in sufficiently large quantities, it could even go below the $1.

The vaccine was developed in a partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It took quite a while for the WHO to incorporate cholera vaccines (2010), but now, this seems like the clear way to go. Cheap, easy to produce and take vaccines could do wonders and save over a hundred thousand lives every year.

Scientific Reference: Francisco J. Luquero et al. Use of Vibrio cholerae Vaccine in an Outbreak in Guinea.  Engl J Med 2014; 370:2111-2120May 29, 2014 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1312680

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Breakthroughs against malaria: highly effective vaccine developed; meanwhile, anti-malaria soap wins prize
  2. More effective tuberculosis vaccine passes early trials in Africa
  3. In devastated, war-torn Mariupol, a new potential threat emerges: cholera
  4. Pfizer, AstraZeneca jabs are highly effective against Indian variant
  5. Around 4,500 years ago, Vietnamese stone-age traders traveled hundreds of kilometers to sell their wares
Tags: choleraDoctors Without Bordersvaccine

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW