![]() Toxic strains of cholera bacteria produce a poison that triggers violent diarrhea in humans. They can also exist as colonies of biofilms that coat the surface of the water, plants, stones, shells, and similar items, and they can live among the eggs of midges, which serve as a reservoir for cholera bacteria. cholera bacteria live in shallow, salty water on microscopic crustaceans. He discovered that they thrived in damp, dirty linen and moist earth, and in the stools of patients with the disease. Later that year, Koch went to India, where he succeeded in isolating the bacteria. He found a bacterium in the intestines of those who had died of cholera but could neither isolate the organism nor infect animals with it. The German bacteriologist, Robert Koch (1843-1910), studied the disease during an epidemic in Egypt. ![]() The cause of cholera is infection by the V. Share on Pinterest Diarrhea is the key symptom of cholera. 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. Those who recover usually have long-term immunity against re-infection.Ĭholera was prevalent in the United States in the 1800s, but now it is rare because there are well-developed sanitary systems and living conditions. Death can occur in otherwise healthy adults within hours. cholera).ĭespite being easy to treat, cholera is estimated to affect between 3 and 5 million people each year, and it causes over 100,000 deaths worldwide.ĭue to severe dehydration, fatality rates are high when untreated, especially among children and infants. It is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera (V. It is characterized by watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, and severe dehydration. Cholera is an acute epidemic infectious disease.
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