User talk:Kateyfawcett

Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance in Cholera
Cholera is a water-borne virus that inserts itself into the intestinal epithelium of human hosts. Once embedded in the tissue it secretes CT (cholera toxin) which impedes the regulation of ion concentrations in normal intestinal cells. This is what causes the symptom of diarrhea. According to this article, it is the combination of two factors that are responsible for the lethal effects of the cholera virus in humans: the secretion of CT and the expression of a group of "virulence factors". The article discusses in detail each of the "virulence factors" expressed by genes found in two "clusters" on the cholera viral chromosome. The general function of these factors is for successful colonization of the host. These virulence factors are highly regulated and responsive to changes in the host environment, lending to rapid evolution of the viral genome. Thus, the cholera virus is successful in infecting a host first by establishing colonies in the intestinal epithelium (virulence factors) which then allows for CT secretion. The article also talks about the epidemiology of cholera. Outbreaks occur seasonally, similar to the flu, and is most common in East Asian, African, and Latin American populations. The author gives a history of cholera pandemics. The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistant strains of cholera are concluded to be the cause of these mass outbreaks.