According to CDC (Center for disease control and prevention),
Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine
with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection is often mild or without
symptoms, but sometimes it can be severe. Approximately one in 20 infected
persons has severe disease characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting,
and leg cramps. In these persons, rapid loss of body fluids leads to
dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.
How is cholera contracted?
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is
usually found in food or water contaminated by feces from a person with the infection.
Common sources include:
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Municipal water supplies
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Ice made from municipal water
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Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
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Vegetables grown with water containing human
wastes
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Raw or undercooked fish and seafood caught in
waters polluted with sewage
When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the
bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhea.
It is not likely you will catch cholera just from casual
contact with an infected person.
Symptoms
Most people exposed to the cholera bacterium (Vibrio
cholerae) don't become ill and never know they've been infected. Yet because
they shed cholera bacteria in their stool for seven to 14 days, they can still
infect others through contaminated water. Most symptomatic cases of cholera
cause mild or moderate diarrhea that's often hard to distinguish from diarrhea
caused by other problems.
Only about 1 in 10 infected people develop more-serious
signs and symptoms of cholera, usually within a few days of infection.
Symptoms of cholera
infection may include:
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Diarrhea
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Nausea and vomiting
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Dehydration
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Rapid heart rate
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Low blood pressure
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Loss of skin elasticity (the ability to return
to original position quickly if pinched)
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Dry mucous membranes, including the inside of
the mouth, throat, nose, and eyelids
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Muscle cramps
If not treated, dehydration can lead to shock and death in a
matter of hours.
Risk Factor
Everyone is susceptible to cholera, with the exception of
infants who derive immunity from nursing mothers who have previously had
cholera. Still, certain factors can make you more vulnerable to the disease or
more likely to experience severe signs and symptoms. Risk factors for cholera
include:
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Poor
sanitary conditions.
Cholera is more likely to flourish
in situations where a sanitary environment — including a safe water supply — is
difficult to maintain. Such conditions are common to refugee camps, impoverished
countries, and areas devastated by famine, war or natural disasters.
Ø
Reduced
or nonexistent stomach acid (hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria).
Cholera bacteria can't survive in
an acidic environment, and ordinary stomach acid often serves as a first line
defense against infection. But people with low levels of stomach acid — such as
children, older adults, and people who take antacids, H-2 blockers or proton
pump inhibitors — lack this protection, so they're at greater risk of cholera.
Ø
Household
exposure.
You're at significantly increased
risk of cholera if you live with someone who has the disease.
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Type O
blood.
For reasons that aren't entirely clear, people
with type O blood are twice as likely to develop cholera compared with people
with other blood types.
Ø
Raw or
undercooked shellfish.
Although large-scale cholera
outbreaks no longer occur in industrialized nations, eating shellfish from
waters known to harbor the bacteria greatly increases your risk.
Prevention of Cholera
Although there is a vaccine against cholera, the CDC and
World Health Organization don't normally recommend it, because it may not
protect up to half of the people who receive it and it lasts only a few months.
However, you can protect yourself and your family by using only water that has
been boiled, water that has been chemically disinfected or bottled water. Be
sure to use the bottled, boiled, or chemically disinfected water for the
following purposes:
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Drinking
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Preparing food or drinks
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Making ice
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Brushing your teeth
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Washing your face and hands
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Washing dishes and utensils that you use to eat
or prepare food
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Washing fruits and vegetables
To disinfect your own water, boil it for one minute (or 3
minutes at higher elevations) or filter it and use a commercial chemical
disinfectant. You should also avoid raw foods, including the following:
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Unpeeled fruits and vegetables
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Unpasteurized milk and milk products
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Raw or undercooked meat or shellfish
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Fish caught in tropical reefs, which may be
contaminated
If you develop severe, watery diarrhea and vomiting --
particularly after eating raw shellfish or traveling to a country where cholera
is epidemic -- seek medical help immediately. Cholera is highly treatable, but
because dehydration can happen quickly, it's important to get cholera treatment
right away.
Treatment
Hydration is the mainstay of treatment for cholera.
Depending on how severe the diarrhea is, treatment will consist of oral or
intravenous solutions to replace lost fluids. Antibiotics, which kill the
bacteria, are not part of emergency treatment for mild cases. But they can
reduce the duration of diarrhea by half and also reduce the excretion of the
bacteria, thus helping to prevent the spread of the disease.
Disclaimer
All the tips mentioned
here are strictly informational. Annosue blog does not provide medical advice.
Consult with your doctor or other health care provider before using any of
these tips or treatments.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com
https://www.cdc.gov
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