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 CHOLERA

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The most severe cases of cholera may lead to dehydration.

In the acute phase of cholera, the loss of water from the small intestine is greater than the reabsorption in the large intestine, resulting in a major loss of fluids. Approximately, five percent of people infected with V. cholerae may present a severe cholera disease, which is characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these patients, the rapid loss of body fluids may lead to dehydration and prostration. The lack of proper and timely treatment can lead to death within hours.

A person can get cholera by eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person.