Cholerae cholera. Medical search. Frequent questions

Scanning electron microscope image of Vibrio cholerae bacteria, which infect the digestive system. (medscape.com)
But because they shed cholera bacteria in their stool for seven to 14 days, they can still infect others through contaminated water. (mayoclinic.org)
Cholera bacteria might not cause illness in all people who are exposed to them, but they still pass the bacteria in their stool, which can contaminate food and water supplies. (mayoclinic.org)
Eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially shellfish, that comes from certain places can expose you to cholera bacteria. (mayoclinic.org)
Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. (iamat.org)
Vibrio cholerae bacteria are found worldwide. (iamat.org)
This electron scanning microscopy image show Vibrio cholerae bacteria attached to a chitin surface. (livescience.com)
The bacteria that cause cholera grab genes from other organisms in a particularly predatory way, new research finds. (livescience.com)
This is, however, the first time anyone has observed cholera bacteria - or any bacteria - using this system to gather up new genes. (livescience.com)
But sometimes, new strains appear, and the transfer of genes from other species of bacteria (including other kinds of cholera) might be one reason these new strains arrive. (livescience.com)
Cholera is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae . (medlineplus.gov)
About 75% of people infected with Vibrio cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their faeces for 7-14 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people. (who.int)
In the 1990s, researchers discovered that the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera, was endemic to the country. (ibtimes.com)
Cholera is a disease spread by drinking water or eating food contaminated with toxigenic Vibrio cholerae bacteria. (cdc.gov)

Most people exposed to the cholera bacterium (Vibrio cholerae) don't become ill and don't know they've been infected. (mayoclinic.org)
U.S. travelers to areas with epidemic cholera may be exposed to the cholera bacterium. (cdc.gov)

Throughout history, populations all over the world have sporadically been affected by devastating outbreaks of cholera. (medscape.com)
When outbreaks of cholera occur, efforts should be made to establish clean water, food, and sanitation. (medlineplus.gov)
[7] Japan suffered at least seven major outbreaks of cholera between 1858 and 1902. (wikipedia.org)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend the cholera vaccine for most travelers because most people do not travel to areas where cholera is present. (medlineplus.gov)

A bacterium called Vibrio cholerae causes cholera infection. (mayoclinic.org)

As of 2010[update], Vietnam continued to incorporate oral cholera vaccination in its public health programme, administering the vaccination through targeted mass vaccination of school-aged children in cholera endemic regions. (wikipedia.org)
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends both preventive and reactive use of the vaccine, making the following key statements: WHO recommends that current available cholera vaccines be used as complements to traditional control and preventive measures in areas where the disease is endemic and should be considered in areas at risk for outbreaks. (wikipedia.org)
Cholera can be endemic, epidemic, or pandemic. (medscape.com)
Cholera is endemic to ≈50 countries, primarily in South and Southeast Asia and Africa. (cdc.gov)
Travelers to areas where cholera is endemic or where an active epidemic is occurring are at risk for cholera infection. (cdc.gov)
An inactivated oral vaccine is available in Canada and countries where Cholera may be endemic. (iamat.org)
The full extent of the burden of cholera in the Region is difficult to estimate due to weak surveillance systems in some endemic countries, in addition to underreporting of cases, although it is estimated that the number of cases may be around 188 000 per annum. (who.int)
Cholera is endemic in portions of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South and Central America, and the Gulf Coast of the US. (msdmanuals.com)

But researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, found that cholera (formally called Vibrio cholerae ) have a unique way of doing so. (livescience.com)

Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea. (medlineplus.gov)
Cholera is an acute infection of the small bowel by the gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae , which secretes a toxin that causes copious watery diarrhea, leading to dehydration, oliguria, and circulatory collapse. (msdmanuals.com)
Severe cholera is characterized by large amounts of watery diarrhea, often described as "rice-water stool" because it can have a pale, milky appearance. (cdc.gov)

Although efforts were underway to eliminate cholera from Hispaniola, in October 2022, the Pan American Health Organization reported a resurgence of the disease in Haiti. (cdc.gov)
Before 2022, the last confirmed case of cholera in Haiti was in 2019, and in the Dominican Republic in 2018. (cdc.gov)
What concerns Dr. Bartels is that the UN will be able to declare Haiti cholera-free if there are no new cases of cholera transmission in three years - and the three-year period was reached at end of January 2022. (queensu.ca)

BivWC (marketed as "Shanchol" and "mORCVAX") is a bivalent inactivated vaccine containing killed whole cells of V. cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139. (wikipedia.org)
A new strain of cholera, V cholerae serogroup O139 (Bengal) emerged in the fall of 1992 and caused outbreaks in Bangladesh and India in 1993. (medscape.com)
Although more than 200 serogroups of V cholerae have been identified, V cholerae O1 and V cholerae O139 are the principal ones associated with epidemic cholera. (medscape.com)
Cholera is an acute bacterial intestinal infection caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O-group 1 (O1) or O-group 139 (O139). (cdc.gov)
Many other serogroups of V. cholerae , with or without the cholera toxin gene (including the nontoxigenic strains of the O1 and O139 serogroups), can cause a cholera-like illness. (cdc.gov)
Only toxigenic strains of serogroups O1 and O139 have caused widespread epidemics and are reportable to the World Health Organization (WHO) as "cholera. (cdc.gov)
Toxigenic strains of V. cholerae O1 are the source of an ongoing global pandemic that began in 1961, but the O139 serogroup is localized to a few areas in Asia. (cdc.gov)
Toxigenic V. cholerae O1 and O139 are free-living bacterial organisms found in fresh and brackish water, often in association with copepods or other zooplankton, shellfish, and aquatic plants. (cdc.gov)
The causative organism, V. cholerae serogroups O1 and O139, is a short, curved, motile, aerobic, gram-negative bacillus that produces enterotoxin, a protein that induces hypersecretion of an isotonic electrolyte solution by the small-bowel mucosa. (msdmanuals.com)
However, mild or asymptomatic infection is much more common with the currently predominant El Tor biotype and with non-O1 and non-O139 serogroups of V. cholerae . (msdmanuals.com)
strains O1 and O139, which do not produce cholera toxin. (msdmanuals.com)

Living in or traveling to areas where cholera is present raises the risk of getting it. (medlineplus.gov)

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. (cdc.gov)
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. (who.int)
The acute diarrheal infection is caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae and can be fatal if not treated quickly. (beckershospitalreview.com)

Cholera is a severe infection in the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. (webmd.com)
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae , which can be deadly. (queensu.ca)

Although the disease may be asymptomatic or mild, severe cholera can cause dehydration and death within hours of onset. (medscape.com)
compared to older El Tor strains, this newer variant appears to be more virulent, causing a greater proportion of severe episodes of cholera with the potential for higher death rates. (cdc.gov)
Cholera causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. (mayoclinic.org)
Dehydration can develop within hours after cholera symptoms start and range from mild to severe. (mayoclinic.org)
If you develop severe diarrhea after visiting an area with active cholera, see your doctor. (mayoclinic.org)
If you have diarrhea, especially severe diarrhea, and think you might have been exposed to cholera, seek treatment right away. (mayoclinic.org)
Symptoms of cholera can be mild to severe. (medlineplus.gov)
Both the El Tor and classic biotypes of V. cholerae O1 can cause severe disease. (msdmanuals.com)

Humans can build immunity to some strains of cholera. (livescience.com)

Most recent cases of cholera in the United States have been traced to seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. (mayoclinic.org)

When in countries affected by cholera, travelers who consistently observe recommendations regarding safe drinking water, food preparation and consumption, handwashing, and sanitation have virtually no risk of acquiring the disease. (cdc.gov)
What should travelers do to avoid getting cholera? (cdc.gov)
The risk for cholera is very low for U.S. travelers visiting areas with epidemic cholera. (cdc.gov)
Clinicians should be prepared to treat cholera in travelers returning from countries with widespread cholera outbreaks, the CDC said in a Dec. 5 advisory. (beckershospitalreview.com)
So far this year, the agency said there have been eight cases of cholera among travelers who have returned to the U.S. from Pakistan, Iraq and Bangladesh. (beckershospitalreview.com)
Although cholera in travelers is rare and sustained community transmission in the United States is unlikely, widespread cholera outbreaks in other countries highlight the need for clinicians in the United States to be prepared to treat travelers with cholera, as they could arrive in the U.S. at any time," the advisory said. (beckershospitalreview.com)

Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water. (mayoclinic.org)
When people are outside their homes, water and sanitation systems are disrupted," Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO), said, pointing out that cholera is spread through contaminated water. (ibtimes.com)

Sporadic cases in the United States associated with travel to or from cholera-affected countries in Asia and Africa continue to occur. (cdc.gov)
But cholera still exists in Africa, Southeast Asia and Haiti. (mayoclinic.org)
However, as a result of improved transportation, more persons from the United States travel to parts of Latin America, Africa, or Asia where epidemic cholera is occurring. (cdc.gov)
The second cholera pandemic spread from India, surging outward to all of Europe and northern Africa, then crossing the Atlantic to Canada and the United States, spreading to Mexico and the Caribbean. (wikipedia.org)
Preventing future cholera outbreaks in Africa will depend on interrupting both waterborne and foodborne transmission of this pathogen. (cambridge.org)
Globally, cholera incidence has increased steadily since the beginning of the millenium with cholera outbreaks persisting in Sub-Saharan Africa. (who.int)

Cholera infections are acquired most often from untreated drinking water in which toxigenic V. cholerae naturally occurs or has been introduced from the feces of an infected person. (cdc.gov)
Toxigenic V. cholerae O1, serotype Inaba, was isolated from patients and stored household water. (cambridge.org)

Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae (see the images below). (medscape.com)

Prevention of cholera is dependent on access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and basic hygiene needs. (cdc.gov)
In the late twentieth century, oral cholera vaccines started to be used on a massive scale, with millions of vaccinations taking place, as a tool to control cholera outbreaks in addition to the traditional interventions of improving safe water supplies, sanitation, handwashing, and other means of improving hygiene. (wikipedia.org)
In the United States and other developed countries, because of advanced water and sanitation systems, cholera is not a major threat. (medscape.com)
Epidemics occur after war, civil unrest, or natural disasters when water and food supplies become contaminated with V cholerae in areas with crowded living conditions and poor sanitation. (medscape.com)
The risk of a cholera epidemic is highest when poverty, war or natural disasters force people to live in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation. (mayoclinic.org)
But for more than a century it hasn't recorded an outbreak of cholera, a disease that thrives in an environment where sanitation infrastructure is almost nonexistent and personal hygiene is poor. (newsweek.com)
In 2016, after the UN acknowledged its part in spreading cholera in Haiti, it promised financial assistance for improved water and sanitation infrastructure and assistance for families affected by cholera. (queensu.ca)
In 2016, when the UN finally acknowledged their role in the cholera epidemic, the organization promised $200 million towards cholera elimination and improved water and sanitation infrastructure, in addition to $200 million towards material assistance for cholera-affected families. (queensu.ca)
Effective and proven prevention and control measure for cholera are dependent on provision of adequate environmental health services, such as safe drinking-water, improved access to safe sanitation and health hygiene measure. (who.int)
The availability of oral cholera vaccines is offering hope for cholera prevention and control, particularly in situations where other conventional public health measures, such as improving the access to safe water and sanitation, cannot be scaled up rapidly due to conflict or other environmental factors. (who.int)
Rural districts, where sanitation is poor and health services are poorer, have a higher risk of facing cholera outbreaks, but those living in cities are not immune either, as urban areas become more crowded and residents face rising competition for safe drinking water. (ibtimes.com)

Oral cholera vaccines were first introduced in the 1990s. (wikipedia.org)

This seventh pandemic was the first recognized to be caused by the El Tor biotype of V cholerae O1. (medscape.com)
The third cholera pandemic (1846-1860) was the third major outbreak of cholera originating in India in the 19th century that reached far beyond its borders, which researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) believe may have started as early as 1837 and lasted until 1863. (wikipedia.org)
There are sources that maintain that the third cholera pandemic started with a surge from Bengal in 1839. (wikipedia.org)
Due to the pandemic, cholera testing decreased in Haiti as health care providers pivoted to focus on COVID-19. (queensu.ca)

The following materials cover the basics of cholera and other diarrheal disease prevention. (cdc.gov)
List recommendations for prevention strategies for cholera. (cdc.gov)

Health care and response workers in cholera-affected areas (e.g., during an outbreak, after a disaster) also might be at increased risk for cholera. (cdc.gov)
What is the risk for cholera in the United States? (cdc.gov)

Contaminated water supplies are the main source of cholera infection. (mayoclinic.org)
Raw, unpeeled fruits and vegetables are a frequent source of cholera infection in areas where there's cholera. (mayoclinic.org)
Shellfish eaten raw have been a source of cholera, and a few persons in the United States have contracted cholera after eating raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico. (cdc.gov)

Gotuzzo E, Seas C. Cholera and other vibrio infections. (medlineplus.gov)

Definitive diagnosis is not a prerequisite for the treatment of patients with cholera. (medscape.com)
Household contacts of patients with cholera are at high risk of infection, which probably occurs through shared sources of contaminated food and water. (msdmanuals.com)

So far, the WHO, which is monitoring for diseases in cooperation with Nepal's Ministry of Health, has not received any reports of cholera or other intestinal illnesses in Nepal, Jasarevic said. (ibtimes.com)

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of cholera vaccines in combination with other measures among those at high risk. (wikipedia.org)
The first cholera vaccines were developed in the late 1900s. (wikipedia.org)

Snow was a founding member of the Epidemiological Society of London , formed in response to a cholera outbreak in 1849, and he is considered one of the fathers of epidemiology . (wikipedia.org)
Review CDC resources on the epidemiology of cholera vaccine to use in clinical decision making about offering vaccine to patients. (cdc.gov)

Most cases of cholera that cause symptoms cause mild or moderate diarrhea that's often hard to tell apart from diarrhea caused by other problems. (mayoclinic.org)
Cholera can be subclinical, a mild and uncomplicated episode of diarrhea, or a fulminant, potentially lethal disease. (msdmanuals.com)

Vaccination should not disrupt the provision of other high priority health interventions to control or prevent cholera outbreaks. (wikipedia.org)
Reactive vaccination might be considered in view of limiting the extent of large prolonged outbreaks, provided the local infrastructure allows it, and an in-depth analysis of past cholera data and identification of a defined target area have been performed. (wikipedia.org)
There are no cholera vaccination requirements for entry or exit in any Latin American country or the United States. (cdc.gov)
Note that the World Health Organization announced in 1991 that Cholera vaccination certificates are no longer required for entry by any country or territory. (iamat.org)
The rapidity with which newly arrived refugees became infected precluded effective use of a cholera vaccine to prevent cases unless vaccination had occurred immediately upon camp arrival. (cambridge.org)

Signs and symptoms of cholera dehydration include irritability, fatigue, sunken eyes, a dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry and shriveled skin that's slow to bounce back when pinched into a fold, little or no urinating, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat. (mayoclinic.org)
The danger of cholera is rapid dehydration, which can lead to death. (webmd.com)

There is a cholera vaccine available for adults ages 18 to 64 who are traveling to an area with an active cholera outbreak. (medlineplus.gov)

Is a vaccine available to prevent cholera? (cdc.gov)

In January 1991, epidemic cholera appeared in South America and quickly spread to several countries. (cdc.gov)

The Dukoral monovalent vaccine from Sweden, which combines formalin, heat-killed whole cells of Vibrio cholerae O1, and a recombinant cholera toxin B subunit, was licensed in 1991, mainly for travellers. (wikipedia.org)

Modern sewage and water treatment have virtually eliminated cholera in industrialized countries. (mayoclinic.org)
In the United States, cholera was prevalent in the 1800s but has been virtually eliminated by modern sewage and water treatment systems. (cdc.gov)

Globally, most cholera cases are caused by O1 El Tor organisms. (cdc.gov)
The agency estimates there are between 1.3 million and 4 million cases of cholera globally each year. (beckershospitalreview.com)

Cholera is a potentially fatal intestinal illness that spreads through contaminated water and food. (ibtimes.com)
From 2010 through 2014, 91 cases of cholera were confirmed in the United States among people who had traveled internationally in the week before illness onset. (cdc.gov)

Others develop more-serious signs and symptoms of cholera, usually within a few days of infection. (mayoclinic.org)
Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about how cholera is contracted, its symptoms, how to treat it, and much more. (webmd.com)

The 19th century English physician John Snow provided the first demonstration that the transmission of cholera was significantly reduced when uncontaminated water was provided to the population. (medscape.com)
Pavel Fedotov 's painting shows a death from cholera in the mid-19th century. (wikipedia.org)

Cholera-related diarrhea comes on suddenly and can quickly cause dangerous fluid loss - as much as a quart (about 1 liter) an hour. (mayoclinic.org)
Diarrhea due to cholera often has a pale, milky appearance that resembles water in which rice has been rinsed. (mayoclinic.org)
Cholera can be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. (cdc.gov)

The incubation period for cholera is 1 to 3 days. (msdmanuals.com)

Changes in the CTB sequences play an important role in the global epidemics of cholera. (mdpi.com)

In 2018 and 2019, the most recent years for which data are available, no cholera cases in the United States were associated with travel to Haiti or the Dominican Republic, and those 2 countries reported far fewer cholera cases to WHO during these 2 years than in previous years. (cdc.gov)

The first 6 occurred from 1817-1923 and were probably the result of V cholerae O1 of the classic biotype. (medscape.com)
V. cholerae O1 has 2 biotypes, classical and El Tor, and each biotype can be divided into distinct serotypes, Inaba Ogawa, and rarely, Hikojima. (cdc.gov)

WC-rBS (marketed as "Dukoral") is a monovalent inactivated vaccine containing killed whole cells of V. cholerae O1 plus additional recombinant cholera toxin B subunit. (wikipedia.org)

Blokesch added that the spearing mechanism might be one more reason the cholera bacterium is so virulent in the human gut . (livescience.com)
Cholera is an extremely virulent disease. (who.int)

Once merely whispered in the halls of the U.N., the question is increasingly being asked out loud: Will Haiti's cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 8,000 people so far, become for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon what the Oil for Food scandal was for his predecessor, Kofi Annan? (newsweek.com)
Ban was named as defendant in a lawsuit filed in a Manhattan federal court two weeks ago on behalf of Haiti's victims of cholera, which, according to studies, was introduced by U.N. peacekeepers. (newsweek.com)
We do everything we can to improve the situation [and] demonstrate the compassion that we feel" for Haiti's cholera victims, Eliasson told me. (newsweek.com)
The peacekeeping mission inadvertently introduced cholera into Haiti's most extensive water source in October 2010, after sewage leaked from a UN camp housing cholera-infected peacekeepers. (queensu.ca)

Describe cholera as an infectious agent. (cdc.gov)

Rather, critics point to the U.N.'s feeble response, which initially consisted of blanket denials and which still fails to acknowledge its key role in infecting 700,000 Haitians with cholera. (newsweek.com)

Cholera and Other Vibrios. (iamat.org)

However, since it does not provide 100 percent immunity from the disease, food hygiene precautions are also recommended when visiting an area where there is a high risk of becoming infected with cholera. (wikipedia.org)
Cholera can be prevented by heeding food and water precautions and receiving cholera vaccine before travel. (cdc.gov)

Cholera is spread by ingestion of water, shellfish, or other foods contaminated by the excrement of people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. (msdmanuals.com)

This has raised doubts about whether there is truly no cholera transmission in Haiti or whether it is just not being detected with the decreased testing. (queensu.ca)
Identify key transmission routes of cholera. (cdc.gov)

After the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak he had mapped the cases of cholera in the Soho area in London, and noted a cluster of cases near a water pump in one neighborhood. (wikipedia.org)
In 1852, cholera spread east to Indonesia, and later was carried to China and Japan in 1854. (wikipedia.org)

More than half (70/117, ≈60%) of US cases during 2007-2017 were linked to travel to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, or Cuba, the 3 Caribbean countries affected by a large cholera epidemic that began in Haiti in October 2010. (cdc.gov)
Still, cases of cholera occur throughout the world. (mayoclinic.org)
To test his theory, he convinced officials to remove the pump handle, and the number of cholera cases in the area immediately declined. (wikipedia.org)
Every year there are an estimated 3 to 5 million cholera cases and 100 000 to 120 000 deaths due to cholera. (who.int)
During the last decade, at least 14 out of 22 countries in the Region have reported cholera cases, often in epidemic proportions. (who.int)
65 new cases of Cholera were reported during week reported from 10 districts of Banadir region. (who.int)

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