What is Cholera? Bacterium Vibrio Cholerae

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1. What is cholera? What is the causative bacteria and how does it invade and infect an individual? What are the symptoms? How it is normally treated?
Cholera
Cholera is a waterborne acute disease of intestinal infection caused by bacterium Vibrio Cholerae (WHO, 2000). When viewed under the microscope, this bacterium appears has a Gram negative stained, with a flagellum for motility and pili used for tissue attachment (Davis, 2012). Specific Vibrio cholera may produce comparable symptoms, but the O groups O1 and O139 show the severe symptoms of cholera (Davis, 2012). The enterotoxin produced by Vibrio cholerae pulls water and electrolytes from the body and forces them into the intestinal lumen. This process causes severe diarrhea, which contributes to dehydration in cholera patients (Davis, 2012)
Symptoms
The infected individuals develop the following signs and symptoms within a short period because the incubation period is less than one day to five days. “The symptoms include copious watery diarrhea, also known as “Rice water stool” with fishy smell, vomiting, rapid heart rate, loss of skin elasticity, dry mucous membrane, low blood pressure, thirst, muscle cramps, restlessness and irritability particularly in children, and severe dehydration, which can lead to acute renal failure, extreme electrolyte discrepancies (sodium and potassium) that can further lead to coma or shock and eventually death” (Davis, 2012).
Transmission
Cholera is transmitted by drinking contaminated water and eating contaminated undercooked food. In most cases, large outbreaks are frequently caused by a contaminated water supply. However, in certain rare cases, this disease is transmitted from person to person or through breastfeeding (WHO, 2000). In thi...

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...eb. 29 Jan. 2014. .
5. Miller, J. F.. "Bacteriophage And The Evolution Of Epidemic Cholera." infection and immunity 71.6 (2003): 2981-2982. Print.
6. "Prevention and control of cholera outbreaks: WHO policy and recommendations." WHO. Version 11. WHO, 1 Jan. 2000. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. .
7. Sekelovic, Ognjen, Mathie Meessen-pinard, and Louis Charlies. "American Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Bacteriology." Prophage-Stimulated Toxin Production in Clostridium difficile NAP1/027 Lysogens. American Society for Microbiology, 25 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. .
8. "Cholera." Cholera. WHO, 15 Mar. 2000. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. .

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