What is cholera?

Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. The bacterium is called Vibrio cholerae. 
Although cholera is a very rare disease today, six worldwide outbreaks were documented between 1817 and 1911 that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Since 1961, V. cholerae has spread from Indonesia through most of Asia into eastern Europeand Africa, and from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula.
In 1991, an extensive epidemic began in Peru and spread to neighboring countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1997, nearly 150,000 cases from 65 countries were reported to the World Health Organization.
Cholera has been very rare in industrialized nations for the last 100 years because of advanced water and sanitation systems; however, the disease is still common today in other parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa. 

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How can I become infected with Vibrio cholerae?

Those who may be at risk include people traveling to foreign countries where outbreaks are occurring and people who consume raw or undercooked seafood from warm coastal waters subject to sewage contamination.
A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.This occurs more often in underdeveloped countries lacking adequate water supplies and proper sewage disposal. 
The disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill. 
The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera

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What are the symptoms of cholera?

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. 

 

If I swallowed the cholera bacteria , how quickly would I become sick?

The symptoms may appear from 6 hours to 5 days after exposure, usually 2-3 days. 

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What should I do if I think I have cholera?

Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly. 

 

What is the treatment for cholera?

Cholera can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Patients can be treated with oral rehydration solution, a prepackaged mixture of sugar and salts to be mixed with water and drunk in large amounts. This solution is used throughout the world to treat diarrhea. Severe cases also require intravenous fluid replacement. With prompt rehydration, fewer than 1% of cholera patients die.
Antibiotics shorten the course and diminish the severity of the illness and shedding of the bacteria in the stool, but they are not as important as rehydration. 

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Is there a vaccine for cholera?

A vaccine is available and is sometimes recommended for travelers to certain foreign countries where cholera is occurring. However, the vaccine offers only partial protection (50% effective) for a short duration (3-6 months). Some physicians feel that foreign travelers almost never contract cholera and that use of the current vaccine cannot be justified. In some foreign countries, however, it may be required as a condition of entry. 

 

How can cholera be prevented?

The single most important preventive measure is to avoid consuming water or foods in foreign countries where cholera occurs unless they are known to be safe, properly cooked or treated.