Cholera: Symptoms and Treatment

Cholera is a highly contagious disease that results in severe diarrhea, dehydration, and death if left untreated. In the U.S., cholera was more common during the 1800s, prior to the development of modern sewage and water treatment systems that helped eliminate the spread of the disease. Though it is no longer common in many of the modern, developed countries of today, cholera still exists in undeveloped parts of our world. Typically, the disease is more common in areas with overcrowding, poor sanitation, famine, and war.

Risk Factors for Cholera

Like many medical conditions, there are certain risk factors associated with cholera, including the following:

• Eating raw shellfish
• Living in unclean conditions
• Having low levels of stomach acid
• Having type O blood

Causes of Cholera

Cholera results from Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium responsible for the illness. Typically, the bacterium resides in water or food contaminated by the feces of a person with the illness. Some of the more common sources include the following:

• Municipal water sources
• Ice made from municipal water sources
• Vegetables and fruit grown with contaminated water
• Drinks or food sold by street vendors
• Undercooked or raw seafood caught in polluted waters

When you consume food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria releases a toxin in that results in severe diarrhea. Left untreated, severe diarrhea may result in dehydration and even death.

Symptoms of Cholera

In many cases, people exposed to the bacteria rarely fall ill. If you have cholera, you may not even know you have the illness. That’s because only a small number of those infected actually experience severe symptoms. In fact, only about one in 10 people infected with cholera will develop mild symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. An even smaller number of infected individuals will develop the more severe symptoms of severe diarrhea and severe dehydration.

If you develop a severe case of cholera, you may experience the following symptoms of dehydration:

• Moodiness
• Tiredness
• Sunken eyes
• Dry mouth
• Shriveled skin
• Extreme thirst
• Irregular heartbeat
• Low blood pressure
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Muscle cramps

Diagnosis of Cholera

If you think you may have cholera and are experiencing symptoms, schedule a visit with your doctor for a proper diagnosis. During your visit, your doctor may request a stool sample for analysis.

If you have symptoms of cholera, you should contact your doctor. A doctor can confirm that you have cholera by identifying bacteria in a stool sample.

Treatment of Cholera

If your doctor diagnoses you with cholera, he or she may recommend the following treatment options:

• Antibiotics
• Oral rehydration salts
• Zinc supplements
• Intravenous fluid rehydration

These treatments help rehydrate your body and may even help cut down on the severity and duration of your diarrhea.

Prognosis of Cholera

Though cholera is life-threatening if left untreated, it is easily prevented and easy to treat with modern medicine, vaccinations, and antibiotics.

Complications of Cholera

In rare cases, cholera may result in life-threatening complications, primarily in the form of dehydration and shock. When this happens, you may experience a rapid loss of electrolytes and fluids, which may result in death in less than a day. Other complications may include the following:

• Low blood sugar
• Kidney failure
• Low potassium levels