Cholera

Cholera is a preventable and treatable, yet potentially fatal bacterial disease that causes diarrhea and dehydration. We investigate cholera outbreaks in resource-scarce areas where disease surveillance is limited. We also focusing on regions where people are facing humanitarian emergencies due to natural disasters or war conflicts.  We develop models to better understand factors effecting cholera transmission and intensity and design forecasts tailored to characteristics of places, times, and population at risk. We explore ways to better utilize routinely collected and maintained data streams, like electronic hospitalization records, laboratory testing reports, and environmental monitoring.

Cholera and the Yemeni Civil War
The Yemeni Civil War has led to widespread destruction throughout the country, resulting in one of the world’s largest cholera outbreaks. Cholera outbreaks during war are not uncommon, yet the essential outbreak triggers and characteristics, including disease dynamics, are very limited. We compiled weekly disease, environmental, and socio-political records from various sources 2016 to 2018 in Yemen. We compared outbreak spatiotemporal patterns across governances. These patterns help to understand the multisectoral nature of the Yemen cholera outbreak and driving factors behind its spread. To access our dataset, please click here.

Spatiotemporal Clusters of Cholera in India
We examine spatiotemporal patterns of patients treated due to cholera at a major hospital in Vellore, India. Systematically collected hospitalization records provide valuable insight into disease patterns, and support comprehensive national infectious disease surveillance networks. In areas with limited resources, large regional hospitals could supplement disease monitoring and tracking systems by building strong national networks and exploiting the utility of hospital-based records for surveillance purposes.