Symptoms
- sudden onset of profuse, watery diarrhea followed by profound dehydration.
- can progress to shock within 4 to 12 hours.
- in severe untreated cases, death can occur within hours.
Infectious agent
- Vibrio cholerae serogroup 01, biotypes cholerae & E1 Tor (bacteria).
Mode of transmission
- ingestion of water contaminated with the feces of infected persons (organism is easily killed with chlorination but can survive in ice cubes, salt water and mineral water).
- ingestion of food washed with contaminated water.
Distribution
- epidemics are sporadic, the most recent being in S. America in 1991.
- disease is endemic in southern Asia.
Incubation period & communicability
- from a few hours to 5 days; usually 2 to 3 days.transmission is of minor importance in areas with good sanitary facilities.
Treament
- replacement of fluids and electrolytes (oral rehydration therapy)
- antibiotics eradicate organisms and shorten duration of illness but are secondary in importance to rehydration.
Thanks to the World Health Organisation
for much of this information.
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