Cholera: Meaning, Diagnosis and Overview

What is Cholera?

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhoea. It is caused by bacterium vibrio cholera.
Cholera occurs in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe.

Recovery Time

The incubation period is a few hours to 5 days. Most infections become apparent after 2 to 3 days. Most cases last approximately 2 to 7 days but death may occur within a few hours if the fluid loss is high.

Diagnosis

• Blood tests
• Stool culture

FAQs prepared by doctor

Q1.  What is cholera?
Cholera is a rapidly dehydrating watery diarrheal disease transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae O1 (or, less frequently, O139). The disease is often mild to moderate but sometimes leads to severe dehydration and, if not treated early, can kill a person within 12-24 hours of onset of diarrhea.

Q2.  What are the symptoms of cholera?
The onset is abrupt with profuse, painless, rice watery diarrhea followed by vomiting. The
Patient may pass as many as 40 stools in a day. Physical appearance includes sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, scaphoid abdomen, sub-normal temperature, washermans hands and feet, absent pulse, unrecordable blood pressure, unconscious, loss of skin elasticity and shallow and quick respirations. The output of urine decreases and may ultimately cease. The patient becomes restless, and complaints of intense thirst and cramps in legs and abdomen.

Q3.  How long does cholera happen in a person?
The incubation period is a few hours to 5 days. Most infections become apparent after 2 to 3 days. Most cases last approximately 2 to 7 days but death may occur within a few hours if the fluid loss is high.

Q4.  Is there any association of blood group with cholera?
Persons with type O blood are at greatest risk of severe disease if infected, while those with type AB are at least risk.