Video:Cholera
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Overview
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.[1][2]
Symptoms
Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe, but they classically include large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days.[2][3]
Other symptoms
Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur.[2]
Dehydration
Diarrhea can be so severe, that it leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances within hours.[3]
Signs of dehydration
Severe dehydration can give the person sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet.[4] Dehydration can also cause the skin to turn bluish.[5]
Timing of symptoms
Symptoms typically start two hours to five days after exposure.[2]
Cause
Cholera can be caused by different types of Vibrio cholerae, with some types producing more severe disease than others, which can make some outbreaks more severe than others.[3]
Spread
The main cause of cholera is drinking unsafe water, that has been contaminated with human feces containing the bacteria, or unsafe food contaminated by infected water.[3]
Poorly cooked food
Undercooked seafood is a common source of the disease[6] and humans are the only animal affected.[3]
Risk factors
Risk factors include poor sanitation, not enough clean drinking water, and poverty.[3]
Effect of global warming
There are concerns that rising sea levels, caused by global warming, will increase rates of disease.[7]
Diagnosis
Cholera can be diagnosed by a stool test.[3]
Prevention
Prevention methods include improved sanitation, access to clean water, and good hygiene.[4]
Vaccination
Cholera vaccines that are given by mouth provide reasonable protection from the disease for about six months, and they have the added benefit of protecting against another type of diarrhea caused by E coli.[3]
Treatment
The primary treatment is oral rehydration therapy—the replacement of fluids with slightly sweet and salty solutions.[3] Rice-based solutions are preferred.[7]
Zinc
Zinc supplementation is useful in children.[8]
IV fluids and antibiotics
In severe cases, intravenous fluids, such as Ringer's lactate, may be required, and antibiotics may be beneficial.[3] Testing to see which antibiotic the cholera is susceptible to can help guide the choice.[2]
Epidemiology
Cholera affects an estimated 1-point-3 to 4 million people worldwide and causes 21000 to 143000 deaths a year.[3][9]
Developing nations
Although it is classified as a pandemic disease as of 2017[update], it is rare in the developed world, and affects mostly children in developing countries.[3][10]
Outbreaks vs chronic disease
Cholera occurs as both outbreaks and chronically in certain areas.[3] Areas with an ongoing risk of disease include Africa and Southeast Asia where nearly all cases occur.[3]
Risk of death
The risk of death among those affected is usually less than 1%, but can be as high as 5%.[3] Not having access to treatment dramatically increases the risk of death.[3]
History
Descriptions of cholera are found as early as the 5th century BC in Sanskrit.[4] The study of cholera in England by John Snow, between 1849 and 1854, led to significant advances in the field of epidemiology.[4][11] Seven large outbreaks have occurred over the last 200 years, with millions of deaths.[3][12]
References
- ↑ Finkelstein, Richard. "Medical microbiology". Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Cholera – Vibrio cholerae infection Information for Public Health & Medical Professionals". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 6, 2015. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 "Cholera vaccines: WHO position paper – August 2017". Releve epidemiologique hebdomadaire. 92 (34): 477–98. 25 August 2017. PMID 28845659. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Harris, JB; LaRocque, RC; Qadri, F; Ryan, ET; Calderwood, SB (30 June 2012). "Cholera". Lancet. 379 (9835): 2466–76. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60436-x. PMC 3761070. PMID 22748592.
- ↑ Bailey, Diane (2011). Cholera (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Pub. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-4358-9437-2. Archived from the original on 2016-12-03.
- ↑ "Sources of Infection & Risk Factors". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Cholera vaccines: WHO position paper" (PDF). Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec. 85 (13): 117–128. March 26, 2010. PMID 20349546. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Cholera – Vibrio cholerae infection Treatment". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators. (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281.
{{cite journal}}:|first1=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Cholera – Vibrio cholerae infection". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 27, 2014. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ Timmreck, Thomas C. (2002). An introduction to epidemiology (3. ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7637-0060-7. Archived from the original on 2016-12-03.
- ↑ "Cholera's seven pandemics". CBC. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2018.