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Cholera

Cholera is an acute infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It causes severe watery diarrhea and dehydration. It spreads through contaminated food or water in areas with poor sanitation. Common symptoms include sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, leg cramps and dehydration. Prevention focuses on proper sanitation, water treatment, hygiene and vaccination.

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Shirjak Thokar
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69 views9 pages

Cholera

Cholera is an acute infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It causes severe watery diarrhea and dehydration. It spreads through contaminated food or water in areas with poor sanitation. Common symptoms include sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, leg cramps and dehydration. Prevention focuses on proper sanitation, water treatment, hygiene and vaccination.

Uploaded by

Shirjak Thokar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CHOLER

A
INTRODUCTION
Cholera is an acute specific infection of the alimentary canal. It
is a fatal communicable disease. The onset is characterized by
sudden diarrhoea and vomiting resulting in extreme
dehydration, low blood pressure and collapse. The Vibrio
Cholerae and Eltor Vibrio are the responsible causative germs
for the outbreak of cholera. The incubation period of cholera is
very short, ranging from few hours to 1 or 2 days, but
occasionally prolonged up to 5 days.
Cholera was prevalent in the U.S. in the 1800s, before modern water and sewage
treatment systems eliminated its spread by contaminated water. Only about 10 cases of
cholera are reported each year in the U.S. and half of these are acquired abroad. Rarely,
contaminated seafood has caused cholera outbreaks in the U.S. However, cholera
outbreaks are still a serious problem in other parts of the world. The World Health
Organization reports that there are 1.3 million to 4 million cases each year. The disease
is most common in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. Common
locations include parts of Africa, south Asia, and Latin America. 
CAUSES OF CHOLERA
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is usually found in food or water contaminated by
feces from a person with the infection. Common sources include:
• Municipal water supplies
• Ice made from municipal water
• Foods and drinks sold by street vendors
• Vegetables grown with water containing human wastes
• Raw or undercooked fish and seafood caught in waters polluted with sewage
When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that
produces severe diarrhoea.
It is not likely you will catch cholera just from casual contact with an infected person.
TRANSMISSION
It is a disease of poor sanitation and is transmitted through various ways, such
as:
1. Alimental infection through polluted foods and drinks.
2. Through the fomites of infected person.
3. From person to person through careless handling and unhygienic conditions,
especially at fairs and places of pilgrimage.
4. Through the stool and vomit of infected persons.
5. Houseflies act as mechanical carriers for the spread of the disease to a large
extent.
SYMPTOMS
1. There is a sudden onset of severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
2. Loose motion of stool comes in pain.
3. The patient feels thirsty.
4. Cramps in the muscles and subnormal temperature.
5. Urine is suppressed and blood pressure falls.
6. The patient becomes restless.
7. Nails turn black.
8. Pulse rate becomes fast but weak.
PREVENTION AND
CONTROL
1. The drains should be cleaned time to time.
2. Breeding places of flies should be destroyed.
3. Immunization with cholera vaccine.
4. Sterilisation of water supply.
5. Milk and water should be boiled shortly before use.
6. Bed and clothings of patients should be disinfected.
7. Personal hygiene and environmental sanitation should be improved.
8. Fruits and vegetables should be washed properly prior their use.
9. The discharges of the patients should be buried or burnt away at a great distance from the
residential area.

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