What causes cholera?

Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

What are some of the symptoms of cholera?

Cholera is an intestinal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. Most people get it from contaminated water or food. Cholera may cause extreme diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death. What are the symptoms of cholera? Cholera symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps.

What is the name of the bacterium that causes cholera?

A bacterium called Vibrio cholerae causes cholera infection. However, the deadly effects of the disease are the result of a potent toxin called CTX that the bacterium produce in the small intestine. CTX binds to the intestinal walls, where it interferes with the normal flow of sodium and chloride.

What’s the difference between cholera and cholerae O1?

V. cholerae O1 has caused all recent outbreaks. V. cholerae O139 – first identified in Bangladesh in 1992 – caused outbreaks in the past, but recently has only been identified in sporadic cases. It has never been identified outside Asia. There is no difference in the illness caused by the two serogroups. Cholera can be endemic or epidemic.

How does a person get cholera from drinking water?

How does a person get cholera? A person can 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 that contaminates water and/or food.

What are the dangers of cholera?

The dangerous aspect of cholera is the vast loss of fluid that can occur in a short space of time. It’s particularly dangerous in children in developing countries. If untreated, the loss of fluid can be fatal within 24 hours of developing the disease.

What is cholera caused by bacteria or virus?

Cholera is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria typically live in waters that are somewhat salty and warm, such as estuaries and waters along coastal areas. People contract V. cholerae after drinking liquids or eating foods contaminated with the bacteria,…

What are the symptoms of cholera?

Frequent Symptoms. Cholera can cause physical discomfort in a number of ways, but there are a few symptoms characteristic in nearly all symptomatic cases: diarrhea, nausea, and dehydration. Watery diarrhea. Often the very first sign of cholera is painless diarrhea that occurs within a day or so of becoming infected.

What do you get from cholera?

Approximately 1 in 10 people who get sick with cholera will develop severe symptoms such as watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.