Article by: Kaitlyn Hunter

If you have not heard of the recent Cholera epidemic you must be living under a rock. Cholera wreaked havoc on the University of Oregon Campus last week leaving a trail of death and a somber student body with a death tole of 62 students and faculty.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), “Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. An estimated 3-5 million cases and over 100,000 deaths occur each year around the world” (CDC). Cholera is spread usually through contaminated water which led an investigation into the University of Oregon’s water supply. What they found will shock you!

Apparently the outbreak started when the water supply to the School of Music and Dance was contaminated by the cholera bacterium because of a sewage pipe burst too close to a clean water source. This caused the contagion to spread through the student body starting with the music students. Luckily the cholera bacterium cannot be contracted through physical contact (CDC). Unfortunately though, that did not stop the bacteria from taking the life from many students and faculty.

I created maps to help illustrated the devastation that lead back to the School of Music and Dance.

The twitter map on the second page shows all the students who posted about feeling ill. The reason this was important to the investigation is because we were able to see where the majority of the ill students were located. This could show us how the cholera bacterium was spread through out the campus. The Death map is the map where all the students and faculty members passed away. This map shows that a majority of deaths were located around the music school, the ground zero of this entire epidemic. These maps were pivotal in the solution to where the bacteria originated from. Tracking down the sick and final resting places helps us point out where the most people were exposed to cholera. This information was then used to tell the CDC where sterilize the area of contamination and a way to help people stay away so that the disease does not spread further.

So happy to report though, that Cholera has been completely eradicated from the University of Oregon, and I know our Ducks will stand together in support for those who passed away. A Candlelight Vigil will be held in honor of our lost Ducks this Saturday at 11 am. It will be held in the Matthew Knight Arena. Come support the Duck community with friends, faculty and family.

All information about Cholera was provided by the following Website:

“General Information.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 06 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cdc.gov/cholera/general/>.