Cholera and cocaine: hidden relationship

1991/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Two tropical medicine specialists, one German and another Swedish, have explained their hypotheses about the cholera epidemic in Peru. They say that the Peruvian custom of chewing coca helps to expand cholera.

It is known that cocaine is made active in the alkaline range. Therefore, every time Peruvians take coke to ingest dust to increase the pH of their plates. At the same time, it is known that the microbe called cholera vibrion has an ideal place to grow in a pH environment above 9.2.

The intention of these doctors is to work as a prevention of the epidemic, so they hope to confirm the hypothesis. However, we must not forget that the scarce hygienic conditions that exist in Peru can cause any epidemic.