What Causes Cholera?

Cholera is caused by bacteria called Vibrio cholerae, a gram-negative aerobic bacillus. It was discovered by Robert Koch in 1883 during an outbreak in Egypt. Cholera is derived from a Greek word that means "flow of bile." It is one of the most feared diarrheal diseases because of its severity.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal disease of the gastrointestinal tract, is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The incubation period of cholera usually ranges from a few hours to five days after the bacteria is ingested. After ingesting the bacteria from infected drink or food, a small dose is enough to cause an infection.

After passing the acidic environment of the stomach, the bacteria then begin to multiply in the small intestine, where the environment is alkaline. It attaches itself to the microvilli of the epithelial cells lining the intestinal tract. It multiplies and produces an enterotoxin or cholera toxin. The enterotoxin causes increased release of water in the intestines, which produces severe diarrhea.

How Does a Person Get Cholera?

Cholera can be transmitted through fecal-oral route, which means one can get this illness from drinking water or eating food contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria that causes cholera. Contamination usually originates from the feces or stool of an infected individual.

The bacterium may also thrive in brackish rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish that have been eaten raw or undercooked are also possible reservoirs for the cholera bacterium. However, the disease cannot be spread from direct contact with the infected person.

What are the Symptoms Associated with Cholera?

Most people do not exhibit symptoms. However, When symptoms occur, they start suddenly, around one to five days after acquiring the infection. The infected person may experience sudden, painless, watery diarrhea and vomiting. Fever is usually absent. The primary complaint of a person infected with cholera is profuse diarrhea and abdominal pain. These symptoms are caused by the release of toxins by V. cholera, causing large amounts of fluid to shift from the blood supply into the small and large intestines.

Diarrhea and vomiting range from mild to severe, and the infected person may lose more than one quart of water and salts in an hour. If not treated immediately, dehydration can become severe and the ill person may have intense thirst, muscle cramps, and weakness. The stool of a cholera patient looks gray and has flecks of mucus in it.

Other signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, little or no urine output, dry mouth, rapid pulse, unusual sleepiness or tiredness, and poor skin turgor. If dehydration is not treated immediately, it may lead to kidney failure, shock, and death. In most developing countries, the mortality rate among patients admitted without treatment is 60%. If treated promptly, the mortality rate is less than 1% and recovery is expected.

For those who survive, the symptoms usually subside in three to six days, and after two or more weeks most people will be free of the bacteria. Milder cases of cholera usually do not pose a threat to the patient and the person usually recovers on their own.

What are the Risk Factors Associated with Cholera?

People residing in places such as Latin America, Africa, or Asia are at risk for getting infected with cholera. Travelers going to these places are also at risk for exposure to the cholera bacterium. Eating raw and/or undercooked seafood can also pose a threat to people since the bacteria can thrive in brackish rivers and coastal waters.

There is also a risk for people who like eating food that was not prepared sanitarily. Densely populated, poor areas with little sanitation and unsatisfactory food hygiene are particularly affected by epidemics.

How to Prevent Cholera

To prevent cholera, make sure that your water supplies are clean, pure, and safe to consume. If not, boil the water first before drinking it. Bottled drinks, hot coffee and tea, and other sealed drinks are usually safe to drink. Avoid using doubtful ice cubes in drinks, unless you are sure that they are clean.

Avoid eating raw or undercooked fish and shellfish, and even fruits and vegetables, unless you peeled them yourself. Food must be properly prepared and you must avoid eating food that has stood at room temperature for several hours. Caution must also be observed when eating food from street vendors or stalls. Check to see if it is properly prepared, if possible.

If you plan to travel to places where cholera is endemic, you can get a cholera vaccine. However, it is only 50% effective and only lasts from three to six months.

Also keep in mind to that hand washing can deter the spread of bacteria and germs. Always wash your hands after using the toilet, before and after food preparation, and before eating your food.