Cholera, Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

CHOLERA: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION

Cholera is a serious  bacterial disease that is usually spread through contaminated water. If left untreated cholera can become fatal and eventually lead to death especially among children and infants.
Although it is easily treated, cholera is estimated to affect about 1.3- 4 million people each year with about 21,000 to 143,000 death worldwide.Cholera has been virtually eliminated in industrialized countries due to the introduction of modern sewage and water treatment.
However, cholera outbreak are still serious problems in some part of the world with poor sanitation, war. famine and crowding, including parts of Africa, south Asia and Latin America.

CAUSES:

Cholera is caused by air infection with a bacterium called vibrio cholera. This bacterium is usually found in food and water contaminated by feces from an infected person. This implies that the source of contamination is by an untreated diarrheal discharge of a sufferer getting into waterway, groundwater or drinking water supplies.

Drinking any contaminated water and eating any food washed in such water can cause an individual to contract the infection. Raw shellfish, uncooked  vegetables, fruits and grains can also harbor the bacterium. The deadly effect of cholera is a result of poison which the bacterium produces in the small intestine. This protein referred to as CTX binds to the intestinal walls, where it disrupts the normal flow of sodium and chloride, casing the body to secrete enormous amount of water. Cholera is not usually passed from person to person through casual contacts.

SYMPTOMS

A high percentage of peoples show no symptoms. However if symptoms accur, they accur between 12 hours to 5 days of exposure and may include:

1: Sudden onset of large volume of pale, milky diarhea that resembles water in which rice has been washed. (Rice water stool)

2: Nausea and Vomiting

3: Dehydration which can range from mild to severe depending on how many body fluids have been lost
Symptoms Of Cholera Dehydration Include:

1. Irritability
2. Lethargy
3. A Dry Mouth
4. A Sunken Eye
5. Irregular Heart beat
6. Little or No Urine Output
7. Low Blood Pressure
8. Loose Skin
9. Rapid Weight Loss

DIAGNOSIS

A doctor may suspect diarhea if you have symptoms such as watery diarhea, rapid dehydration and vomiting. Especially if you have just consumed shellfish, travelled back from a place where a cholera outbreak is prevalent. A stool  sample may be sent to the lab to identify the bacterium, this is to confirm diagnosis.
In remote areas, rapid cholera dipstick tests are now available to enable health care practitioner to confirm diagnosis early resulting in a decrease in death rate and early public health interventions to control an outbreak.

PREVENTION

Prevention options may include;
Dehydration to replace lost fluid and electrolytes using an oral dehydration solution (ORS). This treatment consist of a large volume of water mixed with sugar and salt blends injecting fluids replacement for severe cases.
When travelling to areas where the cholera outbreak is prevalent people need to protect themselves against cholera by having the appropriate vaccinations before hand, drinking only boiled water or sealed bottled water as well as following good hand washing practices.