Cholera - Picture, Symptoms, Cause and Treatment of Cholera
What is Cholera?a severe bacterial infection of the small intestine. Cholera remains a serious killer disease in many countries, especially in conditions of overcrowding and poor sanitation e.g. refugee camps. During epidemics, the death rate exceeds 50% with children and elderly persons being at particular risk. The disease is rare in the UK and such cases that occur are contracted abroad. Strict standards of hygiene, sanitation and nursing ensure that the infection does not spread, and prevent an epidemic. Early and prompt detection and treatment enable most patients to make a full recovery. This vigilance remains necessary because cholera caused thousands of deaths in the last century during widespread epidemics in many countries. People commonly affected by Choleraall age groups and both sexes. Part of body involved with Cholerawhole body. Symptoms of Cholerathere is considerable variation in the severity of symptoms and in the manner in which they present themselves. In mild cases, the patient may hardly feel ill, whereas in those severely affected during epidemics, death may occur very rapidly within a few hours. In most cases, three stages of cholera are recognized. During the first stage, there is copious diarrhea and vomiting, with the production of characteristic 'rice water stools' containing flakes of fibrin (a protein substance formed in the blood during blood clotting). There are severe pains and cramps, extreme thirst and increasing signs of dehydration. In the second stage, death may occur due to dehydration and collapse. The person's skin is cold and wrinkled, the eyes are sunken, the pulse becomes imperceptible and the voice is a hoarse whisper ('vox cholerica'). During the third stage, the person may start to recover and gradually improve and the symptoms subside. Relapse is still possible at this stage, particularly in the form of a fever. A person who has traveled abroad and has any signs of illness should seek medical advice.Treatment of Cholerarequires isolation of the patient and scrupulous attention to hygiene during nursing. This includes treatment and very careful disposal of the body waste of the infected person, to prevent the spread of the disease. Treatment of (he patient involves bed rest and the taking of tetracycline or other sulphonamide drugs to kill the cholera bacteria. The patient requires salt solutions to counteract the dehydration that occurs, and these are taken by mouth and/or given intravenously. Prevention of cholera is by means of vaccination but this is only effective for about six months. Cause of Cholerathe disease is caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae. It is spread by contamination of drinking water by faeces of those affected by the disease, and also by flies landing on infected material and then crawling on food. In countries where cholera is present, drinking water must be treated or boiled and strict standards of hygiene used in food preparation. Efforts should be made to eliminate flies from houses and to ensure that they do not come into contact with food. Risks remain wherever there are conditions of overcrowding, poverty and poor sanitation. |
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