CHOLERA

Etiologic Agent: Vibrio El Tor

Description:
-An acute serious illness characterized by sudden

onset of acute and profuse colorless diarrhea,

vomiting, severe dehydration, muscle cramps,
cyanosis and in severe cases collapse.
Sources

of Infection:

-Vomitus and feces of infected persons and feces

of convalescent or healthy carries. Contacts may

e temporary carries.

Cholera symptoms and signs

Vomiting
Rapid heart rate
Loss of skin elasticity
Thirst
Restlessness or irritability

Cholera Causes

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

bacterium Vibrio cholerae

Mode of Transmission

Food and water contaminated with vomitus

and stools of patients and carries.

Incubation Period

From few hours to 5 days; usually 3 days.

Period of Communicability

7-14 days after onset, occasionally 2-3

months.

Susceptibility, Resistance and

Occurrence

Susceptibility and resistance general although

variable. Frank clinical attacks confer a
temporary immunity which may afford some
protection for several years.
Immunity artificially induced by vaccine is of
variable and uncertain duration.
Appears occasionally in epidemic from in
the Philippines.

Methods of Prevention & Control

Report case at once to Health Officer.

Bring patient to hospital for proper isolation
& prompt & competent medical care
Other general preventive measures are the
same as those of Typhoid & Dysentery.
All contacts of the cases should submit
themselves for stool examination & be
treated accordingly if found or discovered
positive.

Public Health Nursing

Responsibilities

Assist family & patient to make arrangement

for immediate hospitalization.
Give necessary measure to control spread of
the disease.
Share with patient & family the nature of the
treatment Rehydration/ replacement of lost
fluids & electrolytes. (Sodium chloride,
bicarbonate & potassium)

Cholera Treatment and Prevention

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

Antibiotics

Antibiotic-treatments for one to three days

shorten the course of the disease and reduce
the severity of the symptoms. Use of
antibiotics also reduces fluid
requirements. People will recover
without them, however, if sufficient
hydration is maintained