Cholera
What is cholera?
Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the
intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection is often
mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe.
What are cholera symptoms?
Approximately 1 in 20 infected persons has severe disease
characterized by:
- profuse watery diarrhea,
- vomiting, and
- leg cramps.
In these persons, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and
shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.
How does a person get cholera?
A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food
contaminated with the cholera bacterium. In an epidemic, the source
of the contamination is usually the feces (stool) of an infected person. The
disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of
sewage and drinking water.
The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish
rivers and coastal waters. 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. The disease is not likely to spread directly from one person
to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not
a risk for becoming ill.
What is the risk for cholera in the United States?
In the United States, cholera was prevalent in the 1800s but has
been virtually eliminated by modern sewage and water treatment
systems. 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. U.S. travelers
to areas with epidemic cholera may be exposed to the cholera
bacterium. In addition, travelers may bring contaminated seafood back
to the United States; foodborne outbreaks have been caused by
contaminated seafood brought into this country by travelers.
Next: What should travelers do to avoid getting cholera? »
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