Cholera is an acute epidemic infectious disease. It is characterized by watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, and severe dehydration. It can be fatal.
It is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera (V. cholera). Despite being easy to treat, cholera is estimated to affect between 3 and 5 millionTrusted Source people each year, and it causes over 100,000 deaths worldwide. Due to severe dehydration, fatality rates are high when untreated, especially among children and infants. Death can occur in otherwise healthy adults within hours. Those who recover usually have long-term immunity against re-infection. Cholera was prevalent in the United States in the 1800s, but now it is rare because there are well-developed sanitary systems and living conditions. When traveling to Asia, Africa and some parts of Latin America, however, people need to protect themselves against cholera by having the appropriate vaccinations beforehand, drinking only water that is boiled or from a sealed bottle and following good handwashing practices. Millions of people across the world get cholera infections each year. The bacterial infection usually happens in places without modern systems for sewage and clean water. Examples include undeveloped countries and refugee camps, as well as parts of the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa. Cholera outbreaks are more common in warm climates. Outbreaks sometimes happen after natural disasters, like earthquakes and hurricanes. These disasters can damage sewage systems. Cholera is rare in the United States and other modern, industrialized countries. But Americans should be aware of the disease and its causes, especially if they travel internationally. Only around 1 in 20 cholera infections are severe, and a high percentage of infected people show no symptoms. If symptoms appear, they will do so between 12 hours and 5 days after exposure. They range from mild or asymptomatic to severe. They typically includelarge volumes of explosive watery diarrhea, sometimes called “rice water stools” because it can look like water that has been used to wash rice vomiting, leg cramps,a person with cholera can quickly lose fluids, up to 20 liters a day, so severe dehydration and shock can occur.
