Epidemiological factors of cholera in Gozo, Malta in 1837

Abstract

The second world cholera pandemic reached Malta in early June 1837. It reached the island of Gozo one month later. The Health Board of this island installed to combat cholera recorded all the cases reported up to the end of August of the same year on a special register. This manuscript register still exist at the Gozo Public Library. It contains the minutes of the Gozo cholera board meetings that took place during June, July and August 1837 and includes a list of cholera patients including their names, their village or town of abode, the dates of diagnosis, the dates of recovery or death and if they were treated in hospital or at home. Fifteen percent of patients had their age recorded. There were 740 cholera cases registered with a total mortality from the disease of 47%. Using statistical analysis the study showed that patients treated in hospital were more likely to die than if they were treated at home but there was no relation of death to gender or location of abode.