Cholera is sudden illness that occur when a person unknowingly ingests (swallows) Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) bacteria. When the bacteria infect a person’s intestines, they can cause very bad diarrhea and dehydration. These complications can also lead to death.
Each year, millions of people across the world get cholera infections. New age sewage and water treatment have virtually eliminated it in industrialized countries. But it still exists in Africa, Southeast Asia and Haiti. The risk of it epidemic is highest when poverty, war or natural disasters force people to live in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation.
It can be easily treated. Death from severe dehydration can be prevented with a simple and inexpensive rehydration solution.
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Symptoms of cholera
Some people with this bacteria infection have no symptoms at all or mild to moderate ones.
Symptoms may include:
- vomiting
- sudden onset of diarrhea
- mild to severe dehydration
- nausea
The dehydration associated with it is often severe and can cause signs and symptoms such as:
- moodiness
- tiredness
- sunken eyes
- dry mouth
- shriveled skin
- extreme thirst
- reduced urine output
- low blood pressure
- irregular heart rate
Dehydration can cause the loss of minerals in your blood, which can result in an electrolyte imbalance.
The first symptom of an electrolyte imbalance is:
- Severe muscle cramps.
- An electrolyte imbalance can eventually lead to shock.
Children with it usually have the same symptoms as adults. Children may also experience:
- fever
- severe drowsiness
- convulsions
- coma
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Causes of cholera
Bacterium called Vibrio cholerae causes cholera infection. The deadly effects of the disease are the result of a toxin the bacteria produces in the small intestine. The toxin causes the body to secrete enormous amounts of water, leading to diarrhea and a rapid loss of fluids and salts (electrolytes).
The bacteria might not cause illness in all people who are exposed to them, but they still pass the bacteria in their stool, which can contaminate food and water supplies around them.
The main sources of Vibrio cholerae infection are contaminated water supplies. This bacterium can be found in:
- Surface or well water. Contaminated public wells are frequent sources of large-scale outbreaks. People living in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation are especially at risk.
- Raw fruits and vegetables. Raw, unpeeled fruits and vegetables are a frequent source of Vibrio cholerae infection in areas where there’s. In some developing countries, uncomposted manure fertilizers or irrigation water containing raw sewage can contaminate produce in the field.
- Seafood. Eating raw or not well cooked seafood, especially shellfish, that comes from certain places can expose you to Vibrio cholerae infection. Most recent cases in the United States have been traced to seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.
- Grains. In regions where the bacteria infection is widespread, grains such as rice and millet that are contaminated after cooking and kept at room temperature for several hours can grow Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
Risk factors of cholera
Almost everyone can potentially contract it, but a few factors may increase your risk of Vibrio cholerae infection. These risk factors also increase the likelihood that you’ll have a severe case:
- Eating raw shellfish. If you eat shellfish that come from waters contaminated with the bacteria, there’s a greater chance of you contracting the disease.
- Unclean conditions. The bacteria is present in places with poor sanitation and contaminated water.
- Sick household members. Close contact with people who have the infection can increase your risk too.
- Low levels of stomach acid. The Vibrio cholerae bacteria cannot live in highly acidic environments.
- Type O blood. People with type O blood are more likely to experience severe illness. According to a 2016 study, this may be because CTX has a stronger response in people with type O blood than in people with other blood types.
Complications of cholera
Diarrhea and vomiting from the bacteria infection can make your body lose large amounts of important substances such as:
- Fluids.
- Electrolytes.
- Potassium.
- Sodium.
When your body doesn’t have enough of the above things, you will get dehydrated and may develop:
- Dry mucous membranes (such as in the eyes, nose and mouth).
- Loss of the natural stretchiness in skin.
- Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood).
- Hypotension (low blood pressure).
- Fast heart rate.
Untreated, severe dehydration from the bacteria infection can lead to:
- Kidney failure.
- Shock.
- Coma.
- Death.
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Prevention of cholera
The best preventive measure is drinking clean water and eating healthy fruits/foods. And also practicing good sanitation such as:
- washing your hands often
- treating your water with a chlorine product or bleach, if you cannot boil it
- using bottled or boiled water to brush your teeth or prepare food
- avoiding dairy
- avoiding raw shellfish and most other raw foods
- only eating raw fruits and vegetables you can peel yourself
If you develop severe diarrhea after visiting an area with a high rate of Vibrio cholerae infection, you should see a doctor immediately.
Diagnosis of cholera
To test for the bacteria infection, a healthcare professional will need your stool sample. Often, you will poop into a collection cup or bag. Sometimes, a healthcare giver will insert a swab into your rectum (opening where poop comes out).
This sample gets sent to a laboratory, where the experts will look at it under a microscope to identify the bacterium V. cholerae. Some areas where bacteria infection is more common have access to a “dipstick” tool that can easily and rapidly test a stool sample.
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Treatment of cholera
The bacteria infection requires immediate treatment because the disease can cause death within some particular hours.
Common methods for treating this infection include:
- Antibiotics. While not a necessary part of its treatment, some antibiotics can reduce cholera-related diarrhea and shorten how long it lasts in severely ill people.
- Rehydration. The goal is to replace lost fluids and electrolytes using a simple rehydration solution, oral rehydration salts (ORS). The obstructive sleep apnea (ORS) solution is available as a powder that can be made with boiled or bottled water.Without rehydration, approximately half the people with this disease die. With treatment, fatalities drop to less than 1%.
- Zinc supplements. Research has shown that zinc might decrease diarrhea and shorten how long it lasts in children with cholera.
- Intravenous fluids. Most people with the infection can be helped by oral rehydration alone, but severely dehydrated people might also need intravenous fluids.
- Vaccination. Everyone traveling from the United States to areas affected by Vibrio cholerae infection can get a cholera vaccine called Vaxchora. It’s suggested for people between ages 2 and 64 who plan to travel where the bacteria infection is being spread or regularly spreads. It is a liquid dose taken by mouth at least 10 days before travel.
Several other countries offer oral vaccines as well. Contact your doctor or local office of public health for more information about these vaccines. Even with the vaccine, it’s important to take the above precautions to prevent the disease.
The bacteria infection can go away on its own in just a few days. But if you have severe symptoms and start to become dehydrated, you need medical emergency. You must replace fluids very quickly.
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