How do get cholera

Weather changes, population loss, and improved sanitation can all end an outbreak. Only around 1 in 20 cholera infections are severe, and a high percentage of infected people show no symptoms. If symptoms appear, they will do so between 12 hours and 5 days after exposure. They range from mild or asymptomatic to severe. A person with cholera can quickly lose fluids, up to 20 liters a day, so severe dehydration and shock can occur.

Shock can lead to collapse of the circulatory system. It is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency. Cholera bacteria enter the body through the mouth, often in food or water that has been contaminated with human waste, due to poor sanitation and hygiene. They can also enter by eating seafood that is raw or not completely cooked, in particular shellfish native to estuary environments, such as oysters or crabs.

Poorly cleaned vegetables irrigated by contaminated water sources are another common source of infection. In situations where sanitation is severely challenged, such as in refugee camps or communities with highly limited water resources, a single affected victim can contaminate all the water for an entire population.

A doctor may suspect cholera if a patient has severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, and rapid dehydration, especially if they have recently traveled to a place that has a recent history of cholera, or poor sanitation, or if they have recently consumed shellfish. A stool sample will be sent to a laboratory for testing, but if cholera is suspected, the patient must begin treatment even before the results come back. It is normally dehydration that leads to death from cholera, so the most important treatment is to give oral hydration solution ORS , also known as oral rehydration therapy ORT.

Prepackaged mixtures are commercially available, but widespread distribution in developing countries is limited by cost, so homemade ORS recipes are often used, with common household ingredients. Severe cases of cholera require intravenous fluid replacement.

An adult weighing 70 kilograms will need at least 7 liters of intravenous fluids. Antibiotics can shorten the duration of the illness, but the WHO does not recommend the mass use of antibiotics for cholera, because of the growing risk of bacterial resistance.

The first sign of an electrolyte imbalance is severe muscle cramps. An electrolyte imbalance can eventually lead to shock. Children usually have the same cholera symptoms as adults. Children may also experience the following:. Cholera rarely occurs in first world nations. If you follow proper food safety practices, even in affected areas, the risk of infection is minor. Still, cholera continues to occur worldwide. If you develop severe diarrhea after visiting an area with a high rate of cholera, you should see a doctor.

If you have symptoms of cholera, you should contact your doctor. A doctor can confirm that you have cholera by identifying bacteria in a stool sample. These treatments add to the liquid in the body and rehydrate it.

They also help reduce the length of time you have diarrhea. Cholera can be fatal. In severe cases, rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes can cause death in as little as 2 or 3 hours. Even in typical cases, if cholera is left untreated, people can die of dehydration and shock in as little as 18 hours.

Shock and severe diarrhea are the most serious complications of cholera. However, other problems may occur, such as:. Information: You can check the country information on the TravelHealthPro website.

Do wash your hands with soap and water regularly, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food or eating only drink tap water that's been boiled or bottled water brush your teeth using bottled or boiled water. Information: If you need the cholera vaccine, you may be able to get it for free on the NHS. Urgent advice: See a doctor if:. Contaminated water supplies are the main source of cholera infection.

The bacterium can be found in:. Everyone is susceptible to cholera, with the exception of infants who get immunity from nursing mothers who have previously had cholera. Still, certain factors can make you more vulnerable to the disease or more likely to have severe signs and symptoms. Cholera can quickly become fatal. In the most severe cases, the rapid loss of large amounts of fluids and electrolytes can lead to death within hours.

In less extreme situations, people who don't receive treatment can die of dehydration and shock hours to days after cholera symptoms first appear.

Although shock and severe dehydration are the worst complications of cholera, other problems can occur, such as:. Cholera is rare in the United States with the few cases related to travel outside the U. If you're traveling to areas known to have cholera, your risk of contracting the disease is extremely low if you follow these precautions:. Drink only safe water, including bottled water or water you've boiled or disinfected yourself. Use bottled water even to brush your teeth.

Hot beverages are generally safe, as are canned or bottled drinks, but wipe the outside before you open them. Don't add ice to your drinks unless you made it yourself using safe water. For adults traveling from the United States to areas affected by cholera, a vaccine called Vaxchora is available in the United States.

It is a liquid dose taken by mouth at least 10 days before travel.