Cholera : A bacterial disease

 

Cholera is generally described as a bacterial disease which usually spreads through contaminated water. Cholera disease causes severe forms of diarrhea and dehydration. If you leave it untreated, these cholera  diseases can be fatal within hours even though they are healthy.

In this modern sewage system and water treatment  will virtually eliminate cholera especially in industrialized countries. But cholera disease is still present in the areas like Africa, Southeast Asia and Haiti.  The risk of cholera is very highest rate when poverty comes in your country, or sudden war places or facing any natural disasters will force the people to stay in crowded places without any adequate sanitation measures.

Cholera can be treated easily. We can deal with complications of cholera like death because of severe dehydration which can be prevented with a simple procedure called inexpensive rehydration method.

Cholera symptoms

Mostly people with cholera have no symptoms or they have mild to moderate ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  Only 10% of people who are affected with cholera have severe symptoms.

Some symptoms of cholera such as :

• sudden onset of severe diarrhea

• nausea

• vomiting

• mild to severe form of dehydration

One of the most dangerous complications of cholera is dehydration which can be severe and it can cause symptoms like:

• tiredness

• moodiness

• sunken eyes

• dry mouth

• shrivelled skin

• extreme thirst

• reduced urine output

• irregular heart rate

• low blood pressure

Dehydration will result in the problem of electrolyte imbalance which means loss of minerals in your blood.

The foremost sign of electrolyte imbalance is having severe muscle cramps. This electrolyte imbalance eventually leads to shock.

In children

Children and adults with cholera typically have the similar symptoms. But children might also facing:

• severe drowsiness

• fever

• convulsions

• Coma

Causes of cholera

Cholera is usually caused by the bacteria called V. cholerae. The deadly effect of this disease results from cholera toxin (CTX) which is a very strong toxin that is produced by V. cholerae in the small intestine.

When V. cholerae interferes with the normal flow of sodium and chloride and then it binds to the intestinal walls, the body begins to secrete huge amounts of fluids which leads to diarrhea and also it causes rapid loss of fluids and salts.

Some of the common sources of cholera infection include:

• Primary source of infection is drinking contaminated water or eating food which is made with contaminated water

• eating raw fresh or undercooked seafoods like shellfish

• eating raw vegetables and fruits 

Cholera infection is not usually transmitted from person to person through direct or casual contact.

Risk factors for cholera

Anyone can contract with cholera infection but a few factors will increase the risk. These risk factors increase the chance which will eventually have a severe case:

• Unclean conditions. Cholera usually lives in areas with poor sanitation and still contaminated water.

• Sick household members. If you have close contact with people who have cholera disease, it can increase your risk.

• Low levels of stomach acid. In highly acidic environments, Cholera bacteria cannot live.

• Type O blood. People with O Blood group are highly likely to experience severe illness. This is because CTX has a stronger response in O blood type than other blood group peoples.

• Eating raw shellfish. If you eat shellfish which lives in contaminated water by cholera bacteria, there will be a higher chance of getting cholera.

Diagnosis of cholera

If you have any signs of cholera, you must immediately contact your physician. They will help you to confirm whether you have cholera by testing the stool sample to identify the bacteria.

Cholera treatment

Below are the some common methods for treating cholera are:

• oral rehydration salts, you can mixed this salts with water

• other electrolyte solutions

• IV - intravenous fluid rehydration

• antibiotics

• zinc supplements

These treatments will help you to add the liquid in the body which rehydrates it. This can also help to reduce the time period you have diarrhea.

Complications

Because of cholera, you will experience diarrhea and vomiting which makes your body to lose huge amounts of important substances:

• Electrolytes.

• Fluids.

• Sodium.

• Potassium.

If your body does not have enough of the above things, you get dehydration and it also develop:

• Dry mucous membranes in the eyes, nose and mouth.

• Fast heart rate.

• Hypokalemia illness which means you have low potassium levels in the blood.

• Hypotension which means low blood pressure.

• Loss of the natural stretchiness in skin.

Untreated cholera will have severe dehydration which can lead to:

• Kidney failure.

• Shock.

• Coma.

• Death.

Vaccine

Vaccine is only for adults ranging from age 18 to 64 who are planning to go on a trip to areas with cholera. But this cholera vaccine is not suggested frequently because most of the people don’t visit the tourist places with cholera disease. 

Till now, there is no 100% effective vaccine, so you must take care while travelling.You should follow precautions while using water and eating foods and you must wash your hands often.

Prevention

People who are living in or visiting places with poor sanitation measures will have less chance of getting cholera. But if you are live in an place with cholera cases, some specific strategies are helpful to prevent infections:

• You should avoid tap water, water fountains and ice cubes. This precaution will apply to water you drink and water you use to wash dishes, water you use to prepare food and water you use for brushing your teeth.

• You don’t eat any raw  meat or undercooked seafood.

• You must drink water only if it’s bottled, canned, boiled or treated with some certain chemicals. And you must ensure that you don’t drink any out of a bottle or cans with a broken seal.

• Always try to eat prepackaged foods. Or else you must make sure that other foods are freshly cooked and served hot.

• Always wash the fruits and vegetables with clean chlorine water.

• You must wash your hands with soap and clean water particularly before you handling food or eating food and also after every use of the bathroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What was the main cause of cholera?

Ans: Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

Q2. What is the best treatment for cholera?

Ans: Oral or intravenous hydration is the primary treatment for cholera. 

Q3. What are the sources of cholera?

Ans: A person can get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium. 

Q4. What is the other name of cholera?

Ans: Cholera has been nicknamed the "blue death" because a person's skin may turn bluish-gray from extreme loss of fluids.

Q5. What is the name of the cholera vaccine in India?

Ans: Dukoral® is mainly used for travellers. Two doses of Dukoral® provide protection against cholera for 2 years.