Wikipedia:VideoWiki/Cholera

Overview
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.



Symptoms
Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe, but the classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea, that lasts a few days.



Other symptoms
Vomiting, and muscle cramps may also occur with the disease.



Dehydration
Diarrhea can be so severe, that it leads to severe dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances within hours.



Signs of dehydration
Severe dehydration can give the patient sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish.



Timing of symptoms
Symptoms typically start two hours, to five days after exposure.



Cause
Cholera can be caused by different types of Vibrio cholerae, with some types producing more severe disease than others, which can make some outbreaks more severe than others.



Spread
The main cause of Cholera is drinking unsafe water, that has been contaminated with human feces containing the bacteria, or unsafe food contaminated by infected water.



Poorly cooked food
Undercooked seafood is a common source for the disease. , and humans are the only animal affected.



Risk factors
Risk factors for the disease include poor sanitation, not enough clean drinking water, and poverty.



Effect of global warming
There are concerns that rising sea levels, caused by global warming, will increase rates of disease.



Diagnosis
Cholera can be diagnosed by a stool test.



Prevention
Prevention methods against cholera include improved sanitation, access to clean water, and good hygiene.



Vaccination
Cholera vaccines that are given by mouth, provide reasonable protection to the disease for about six months, and, they have the added benefit of protecting against another type of diarrhea, caused by E. coli.



Treatment
The primary treatment is oral rehydration therapy—the replacement of fluids with slightly sweet and salty solutions. Rice-based solutions are preferred.



Zinc
Zinc supplementation is useful in children.



IV fluids and antibiotics
In severe cases, intravenous fluids, such as Ringer's lactate, may be required, and antibiotics may be beneficial. Testing to see which antibiotic the cholera is susceptible to, can help guide the choice.



Epidemiology
Cholera affects an estimated 3–5 million people worldwide and causes 28,800–130,000 deaths a year.



Developing nations
Although it is classified as a pandemic disease, it is rare in the developed world, and affects mostly the children of developing countries.



Outbreaks vs chronic disease
Cholera occurs as both outbreaks, and chronically in certain areas. Areas with an ongoing risk of disease, include Africa, and Southeast Asia.



Risk of death
The risk of death among those affected is usually less than 5%, but can be as high as 50%. Not having access to treatment dramatically increases the risk of death.



History
Descriptions of cholera are found as early as the 5th century BC in Sanskrit. The study of cholera in England by John Snow, between 1849 and 1854, led to significant advances in the field of epidemiology. Seven large outbreaks have occurred over the last 200 years, with millions of deaths.