Cholera
Einstein Health Glossary
ICD 10 - A00
What is cholera?
The cholera is an infectious disease that causes profuse diarrhea. The bacterium responsible is called Vibrio cholerae.
Symptoms
The main symptom of cholera is watery diarrhea with no distinct odor. It is often compared to rice water. This diarrhea can very quickly lead to dehydration and death from hypovolemia (an abnormally low volume of blood).
Is cholera fatal?
Cholera has been responsible for several pandemics with high mortality rates. Today, after the discovery of oral rehydration solution as a treatment that can be used anywhere, even in places without medical care, the mortality rate has dropped significantly. Fatal cases of cholera still occur, especially in war zones like Yemen or in areas without medical assistance and with very poor populations, such as regions of Haiti.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made clinically when there is an epidemiological context, and through stool culture using a special medium – the attending physician must inform the lab that they are requesting a culture for Vibrio cholerae.
Treatment
The treatment is hydration. The use of antibiotics can help shorten the duration of the illness.
Prevention
There is a reasonably effective vaccine for cholera, but the best way to prevent it is proper water treatment and avoiding contamination of drinking water with sewage.
Cholera was the first disease to be controlled in this way, when John Snow, in London, geographically linked cholera cases to a water well: when he shut down the well, the epidemic stopped. Today, water treatment makes it safe and helps prevent cholera.