DISEASE:Cholera

CAUSATIVE AGENT: Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine
with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. An estimated 2.9 million
cases and 95,000 deaths occur each year around the world.

NATURE OF THE DISEASE (WITH SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS):

Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to
dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water
contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Most infections are asymptomatic (i.e.
do not cause any illness). In mild cases, acute watery diarrhoea occurs without other
symptoms. In severe cases, there is sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea with nausea
and vomiting and rapid development of dehydration. About 1 in 10 people with cholera will
experience severe symptoms, which, in the early stages, include: profuse watery diarrhea,
sometimes described as “rice-water stools”, vomiting, thirst, leg cramps, restlessness or
irritability.

OCCURRENCE:

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.
INCUBATION PERIOD:

The incubation period is from a few hours to 5 days; it is usually 2–3 days.

PERIOD OF COMMUNICABILITY:
The bacterium can survive in a wide variety of foods and drinks for 1–14 days at room
temperature and for 1–35 days in an icebox. It has also been found on fomites at room
temperature for 1–7 days.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT:

There is a vaccine for cholera. Both the CDC and the World Health Organization have specific
guidelines for who should be given this vaccine. You can protect yourself and your family by
using only water that has been boiled, water that has been chemically disinfected, or bottled
water. Be sure to use bottled, boiled, or chemically disinfected water for the following
purposes: Drinking, Preparing food or drinks, Making ice, Brushing your teeth, Washing your
face and hands, Washing dishes and utensils that you use to eat or prepare food, Washing
fruits and vegetables. To disinfect your own water, boil it for one minute (or 3 minutes at
higher elevations) or filter it and use a commercial chemical disinfectant. You should al