Cholera and Diarrhea

CHOLERA and DIARRHEA At this very moment there is an outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe– not a worldwide pandemic, but a localized epidemic. This is not a trivial point of interest, but a major news event that will not only have a dramatic impact on the population of Zimbabwe but also on the entire world as the aftermath of this epidemic will require international aid. Cholera will most likely kill thousands of people in Zimbabwe, impact tens of thousands of lives, and will continue to be a constant threat around the world and a very real concern for the adventurous and international travelers. What is cholera? Cholera, an acute infectious diarrheal illness that can cause death in less than 24 hours due to the profuse diarrhea, is caused by the bacteria, Vibrio cholera.  Spread by oral-fecal contamination of food or water supplies, it is highly contagious, as has been demonstrated by at least seven worldwide pandemics over the past several hundred years. How does cholera cause illness? When consumed, the cholera bacteria passes through the stomach, where, fortunately, most of the bacteria are killed by the gastric juices and acid. Once the surviving bacteria have made it into the small intestine, they invade the lining of the small intestine and begin to multiply. In the process the bacteria produce an enterotoxin, and it is this enterotoxin that is responsible for causing the profuse, watery diarrhea that results in large quantities of fluid and electrolyte loss. How do...
Source: Wilderness Medicine Newsletter - Category: Rural Health Authors: Tags: Cholera Diarrhea Source Type: news