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Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure. [3] Cholera is caused by a number of types of Vibrio cholerae, with some types producing more severe disease than others. [2] It is spread mostly by unsafe water and unsafe food that has been contaminated with human feces containing the bacteria. [2] Undercooked shellfish is a common source. [9]
Cholera is a bacterial infection of the intestines that leads to severe diarrhea and rapid dehydration, "which can quickly become life-threatening without treatment," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a ...
A cholera vaccine is a vaccine that is effective at reducing the risk of contracting cholera. [10] The recommended cholera vaccines are administered orally to elicit local immune responses in the gut, where the intestinal cells produce antibodies against Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria responsible for the illness. This immune response was poorly ...
Cholera infections are most commonly acquired from drinking water in which V. cholerae is found naturally or into which it has been introduced from the feces of an infected person. Cholera is most likely to be found and spread in places with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene.
With correct treatment, most cases of amoebic and bacterial dysentery subside within 10 days, and most individuals achieve a full recovery within two to four weeks after beginning proper treatment. If the disease is left untreated, the prognosis varies with the immune status of the individual patient and the severity of disease.
The symptoms of dehydration become increasingly severe with greater total body water loss. A body water loss of 1-2%, considered mild dehydration, is shown to impair cognitive performance. [ 8 ] While in people over age 50, the body's thirst sensation diminishes with age, a study found that there was no difference in fluid intake between young ...
Symptoms of the disease appear between 12 hours and 5 days of infection; however, only 10% of infected people show severe symptoms of watery diarrhoea, vomiting and leg cramps. [8] Cholera is diagnosed through a stool test or rectal swab, and today treatment takes the form of an oral rehydration solution (ORS).
Treatment of a cholera infection consists of replenishing lost fluid and electrolytes by intravenous or oral solutions, and by antibiotics. [2] El Tor outbreaks can be prevented by better standards of sanitation, filtering and boiling water, [ 4 ] thoroughly cooking seafood, and washing vegetables and fruits before consumption.