Symptoms, diagnosis, consequences and treatment of cholera. Cholera. Causes, symptoms and signs, diagnosis and treatment of the disease Cholera is characterized by

03.10.2023 Brain diseases

Cholera is an infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, or Vibrio cholera, the structure of which resembles a comma - it is a slightly curved stick. When it enters the human body, the small intestine is first affected. Vibron cholera secretes a toxin that causes watery or secretory diarrhea. This exotoxin is a trigger for a number of chemical reactions. As a result, water and electrolytes begin to actively flow into the intestinal lumen, and then diarrhea develops. If treatment is not started in time, then such conditions lead to: dehydration, dehydration, collapse (and as a result, hypoxia of tissues and organs, disruption) and oliguria (reduction in the daily dose of urine).

Turning to the “Small Academic Dictionary”, you can find a definition of cholera as an acute infectious disease of the intestines, accompanied by a decrease in body temperature and. Cholera is a contagious disease; the microorganism reaches humans, most often through untreated water, as well as seafood. To diagnose it, a cultural test, or more simply put, sowing, and serological methods, that is, taking blood for laboratory analysis, are required.

Treatment of cholera consists of active rehydration, therapy with doxycycline or other antibacterial drugs, and replacement of electrolyte losses. If therapy is not carried out properly, life-threatening conditions and even death may occur. That is why you should not only know the definition of cholera, but also understand its symptoms, and also be able to distinguish it from other similar diseases.

Having overcome the gastric barrier, the cholera vibration ion enters the small intestine and begins to actively multiply. For microorganisms there is a very nutritious environment, consisting of bile and food proteins. Due to their vigorous activity, toxins are released, which cause the initial stage of the disease.

Symptoms begin to appear approximately 3 days after infection. If a person took antibiotics shortly before infection, the incubation period can last up to a week or even more.

In normal situations, the body reacts as follows:

If the disease is mild, then one-time vomiting occurs, as well as with a loss of fluid up to 3% of body weight. If the cholera vibrio leaves the body completely, then after two days the disease stops;

When cholera occurs in a moderate degree, symptoms such as: repeated diarrhea, up to 20 times per day, stool has a cloudy color. In this case, frequent acute pain occurs in the abdomen, as well as false urges to empty the intestines. A person loses up to 6% of fluid from body weight;

If cholera is severe, then shortness of breath is added to the symptoms described above, convulsions and cyanosis of the extremities are possible. In this case, the pain in the abdomen is not sharp, but dull, and its localization is in the peri-umbilical and epigastric region. Fluid loss can be up to 9% of body weight.

It is almost impossible to calculate the moment when a microorganism enters the large intestine, since at this stage there are no specific signs. But nevertheless, during the incubation period, symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, cold extremities, slight weakness and malaise, headache, dry mouth and rumbling in the stomach can be noted.

But these signs do not always appear, and most often the disease has an acute onset. The first symptom that you should pay attention to is a strong urge to defecate, which is not possible to restrain. At this time, the feces have a mushy or immediately liquid form. As stools become more frequent, the bowel movements become similar to rice water: they have a cloudy color, sometimes there are flakes colored gray. There is either no smell or there is a smell of fresh water. Fever is not one of the symptoms that characterizes the onset of cholera. The prodromal period is either blurred or absent altogether.

The most dangerous include some atypical forms of cholera with the following symptoms:

The “dry” form, when diarrhea and vomiting are not observed, at the same time the intestines are filled with water. This occurs due to the paralysis of his muscles, diarrhea does not have time to develop and the disease ends in death;

The erased form has a minimal set of symptoms; they are sluggish but fleeting. The general condition is not disturbed and the patient poses a real threat to the health of others, since he does not seek medical help;

Lightning form. The disease begins abruptly and reaches its peak within a few hours, all body functions are suppressed, and blood pressure quickly drops. Such a course often leads to the death of a person or ends in coma.

It is worth knowing that in addition to the abrupt onset with the manifestation of any symptoms, cholera vibrio can simply live in the human body, and the disease will occur in a subclinical form, that is, hidden.

Diagnosis of the disease, as a rule, is not difficult in the presence of specific symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea without), but in isolated cases, cholera occurs in a mild form with erased signs. It is in such situations, which are observed everywhere, that laboratory diagnostics are required.

For bacteriological examination, both stool and vomit are needed. Vibrio carriage is determined in laboratory conditions, this requires feces. If a person died from cholera, then a piece of the small intestine and part of the gallbladder are taken for examination.

Compliance with certain conditions when determining the presence of cholera vibrio is mandatory:

The culture must be delivered to the laboratory as quickly as possible;

Dishes for collecting feces and vomit should not contain even the slightest traces of chemicals, since vibrio is extremely sensitive to them;

The possibility of infection must be completely excluded.

If it is not possible to deliver the material for diagnostics within 3 hours, then preservatives should be used in which the vibrio can survive. Transportation is carried out in metal containers on specialized transport. All samples are signed with the obligatory indication of the time of collection of the material and its name. The result can be obtained after 3 hours when using the express method, after 8 hours the preliminary answer will be ready, and the final answer after 9 or more hours.

Consequences and complications of cholera

As a rule, with competent and adequate treatment and timely restoration of water-salt balance, cholera does not cause complications. If dehydration has reached a critical point, then the disease can end very badly for a person - death. Death occurs as a result of either hypovolemic shock or disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. The pathogen does not directly affect the organ systems, so after treatment they retain their functionality.

Possible complications after the disease, as well as during its course, include the following:

Kidney failure, as a result of organ dysfunction. As a result, a metabolic disorder occurs;

Cramps of individual muscle groups;

Development of myocardial infarction, especially in old age;

Cerebrovascular accident and respiratory failure;

Drop in blood pressure;

The risk of permanent carriage of this microorganism without symptoms;

After the disease passes, antibodies to this type of pathogen continue to circulate in the body. But this does not guarantee that it is impossible to become infected with another subspecies of vibron cholera.

The main medical measures include the following:

Taking antibacterial drugs to which this microorganism is sensitive;

If moderate to severe dehydration is observed, the patient is prescribed water-salt solutions and glucose solution administered intravenously;

In order to maintain the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and restore its function, a course of probiotics is prescribed;

After illness, observation is required in a local clinic for at least 3 months.

It is advisable to start these activities in advance, when the first symptoms appear. Prompt administration of medications guarantees a speedy recovery with minimal losses to the body. As for diet, it is not prescribed for this disease.

In the absence of vomiting and first degree dehydration, patients are prescribed one of the following types of antibacterial drugs: doxycycline, ofloxacin, tetracycline, levomecithin and others. The course of treatment is 5 days, the dosage is determined by the doctor, the drugs are taken in the form of tablets.

In the presence of vomiting and severe dehydration, the following antibacterial drugs are used: amikacin, gentamicin, doxycycline, sisomycin and others. Medicines are administered intravenously, the course of treatment is also 5 days.

Even if cholera is suspected, the patient undergoes medical examination, and those in contact with him are isolated. Discharge occurs after complete recovery, in the absence of symptoms and after 3 negative culture results.

Since the disease is contagious, you should know the basic preventive measures aimed at eliminating the routes of its transmission:

Performing all known hygiene procedures and observing sanitary standards, such as: washing hands, eating food after heat treatment, drinking clean, high-quality water, etc.;

It is necessary to beware of visiting those places and regions where outbreaks of disease have been recorded;

Food eaten must be protected from insects. Quite often, flies are carriers of cholera and other infectious diseases, especially for insects that have been in landfills and garbage cans;

All rooms where the patient stayed must be thoroughly disinfected;

Persons who have had contact with people infected with cholera are hospitalized until the presence or absence of cholera vibrio in the body is determined;

Wastewater must be disinfected;

Water in places of mass bathing and in port waters should be subjected to specific studies.

If a person travels to a region where there are outbreaks of the disease, then a single vaccination is carried out in advance. If you stay in a dangerous area for a long time, revaccination is carried out 3 months after receiving the initial dose.

International epidemiological rules require all persons arriving from disadvantaged countries to be monitored for 5 days for cholera infection.

So, cholera is an insidious disease, it can pass without a trace, leaving no memory of itself, or it can result in death, infection of a huge number of people, as well as very serious complications. The presence of a microorganism can only be determined in a laboratory setting, but knowing the main symptoms of the disease and its danger, a person is able to promptly seek medical help. The success of treatment directly depends on the stage at which it is started. Modern medicine has accumulated considerable experience in the fight against cholera vibrio and has a clear algorithm of action in case it is detected. This is why cholera outbreaks are extremely rare in developed countries.

Expert editor: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich| Doctor of Medical Sciences general practitioner

Education: Moscow Medical Institute named after. I. M. Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".

6. Cholera. Etiology. Epidemiology. Pathogenesis

Cholera is an acute intestinal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae (serotype 01), which is capable of producing an enterotoxin. Manifestations of cholera range from asymptomatic to extremely severe forms, when a sudden onset of the disease leads to hypovolemic shock, metabolic acidosis and, in untreated cases, death.

Etiology. The causative agent of cholera is a short, slightly curved, mobile gram-negative rod with a single, polarly located flagellum. There are about 70 serotypes of the pathogen, but true cholera is caused only by serotype 01. Vibrio grows well on various nutrient media. The pathogen of serotype 01 forms opaque, yellow colonies on them. Two different biotypes of V. cholerae 01 have been identified: classic and El Tor.

Epidemiology. Endemic outbreaks and epidemics of cholera are characterized by a pronounced seasonal nature. The source of infection in cholera is only a sick person, or a vibrio carrier. Individuals with asymptomatic or mild forms of cholera play an important role in the spread of infection. Long-term carriage of the bacteria, when the reservoir of the pathogen is the gallbladder of adults who have suffered cholera caused by El Tor, does not occur in children. The mechanism of transmission of infection is through the external environment - the water route of infection is of greater importance.

Pathomorphology and pathophysiology. The entrance gate of infection is the gastrointestinal tract, the main place of reproduction of vibrios is the lumen of the small intestine, where they attach to the surface of the epithelial cells of the mucous layer and produce enterotoxin, which is fixed on cell membrane receptors. The active subunit of the toxin enters the cell and activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase. This promotes increased production of cAMP, which leads to a decrease in the active absorption of sodium and chloride and an increase in the active secretion of sodium by crypt cells. The result of these changes is a massive release of water and electrolytes into the intestinal lumen.

A biopsy of the mucous membrane of the small intestine during this period of the disease reveals an intact epithelium with minimal reactive changes in the cells. Histological examination reveals an increase in size and clearing of goblet cells, which indicates an increase in their secretion of mucus. There is also slight swelling of the lamina propria, dilatation of blood and lymphatic vessels in the area of the tips of the intestinal villi.

The fluid released into the intestinal lumen is isotonic with plasma and contains large amounts of sodium and potassium bicarbonate. The feces of children with cholera contain more potassium and less sodium, chloride and bicarbonate compared to the feces of adults with cholera. Loss of fluid leads to sodium and water deficiency, the development of acidosis and decreased potassium levels.

by N.V. Pavlova

From the book Infectious Diseases by N.V. Pavlova

author N.V. Gavrilova

From the book Infectious Diseases: Lecture Notes author N.V. Gavrilova

author Galina Yurievna Lazareva

From the book Paramedic's Handbook author Galina Yurievna Lazareva

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Cholerais a very dangerous bacterial infection that is usually transmitted through contaminated water.

Cholera causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.

If left untreated, cholera can lead to death within a few hours or days.

Modern wastewater treatment methods have virtually eradicated cholera from developed countries. In the United States, the last major outbreak was recorded in 1911. But cholera still causes epidemics in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and India. The risk of cholera is especially high among the poor, who live in crowded conditions without basic sanitation, as well as among refugees and victims of natural disasters.

Cholera is easy to treat if it is started on time. Death from cholera is usually the result of severe dehydration, which can be prevented with simple rehydration solutions.

Causes of cholera

Cholera is caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae has two distinct life cycles - inside and outside the human body.

1. Vibrio cholerae in the environment.

This bacterium naturally lives in coastal waters, where it attaches to small crustaceans and other organisms. Vibrio cholerae travels with its host as crustaceans migrate in search of food - algae. Algae grow intensively in warm coastal water, and urea, which is contained in wastewater, is especially conducive to their growth. This is why the risk of cholera increases during the warmer months, especially in areas contaminated by sewage.

2. Vibrio cholerae in the human body.

When a person ingests cholera bacteria, it can cause the disease itself, or it can simply multiply in the intestines and be excreted in the feces. When the feces of a cholera carrier get into drinking water or food, they become a dangerous source of infection.

The deadly effects of Vibrio cholerae on the body are associated with the powerful toxin CTX, which the bacterium secretes in the small intestine of the patient. CTX disrupts the normal flow of sodium and chloride in the intestinal wall. Because of this, a large amount of water accumulates in the lumen, causing watery diarrhea and a sharp loss of fluid and electrolytes. Contaminated water supplies are a major risk factor for cholera. Eating raw fish, unpeeled fruits and vegetables can also lead to contracting this dangerous infection.

In order for a person to get sick, more than a million bacteria must enter the body - approximately the same amount contained in one glass of contaminated water. Therefore, cholera is rarely transmitted through contact with a sick person.

So, the main sources of cholera are:

Water from natural sources, wells. Vibrio cholerae can live in water bodies for a long time. Water is the main source of major cholera outbreaks. People living in unsanitary conditions are at greatest risk.
Seafood. It is very risky to consume raw or poorly processed seafood, especially shellfish from certain unsafe waters. For example, US authorities strongly recommend carefully preparing seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.
Raw fruits and vegetables. The source of infection is often raw, unpeeled fruits or vegetables. In developing countries, manure fertilizers and dirty water for irrigating fields can lead to crop contamination. Therefore, you need to be especially careful about vegetables and fruits from third world countries.

Risk factors for cholera.

Everyone is susceptible to cholera, with the exception of infants, who have received immunity from mothers who have had the disease.

But there are several factors that increase a person's susceptibility to cholera:

Reduced or zero acidity of gastric juice. Vibrio cholerae cannot survive in an acidic environment - the normal environment of gastric juice. It is the stomach that should serve as a barrier to infection, as provided by evolution. But people with low acidity, as well as those who take medications against ulcers (H2-histamine blockers, proton pump inhibitors, antacids) are at risk.
Blood type 0. But for unknown reasons, people with blood type 0 are twice as susceptible to cholera as people with other groups.

Symptoms of cholera

Most people exposed to Vibrio cholerae do not get cholera. They do not even suspect that they have been infected. But these people become carriers, shedding bacteria in their stool within 7-14 days after infection. In most patients, cholera causes mild to moderate symptoms, so without laboratory tests it sometimes cannot be distinguished from common food poisoning. Only one in 10 infected people develops the typical picture of cholera, with profuse watery diarrhea and rapid dehydration.

Symptoms of cholera include:

Diarrhea (diarrhea). With cholera, diarrhea occurs suddenly and can quickly lead to dehydration. In severe cases, a person loses up to 1 liter of fluid every hour. Fecal masses have the appearance of water in which rice was washed - watery, whitish in color.
Nausea and vomiting. These symptoms occur both early and late in the disease. Vomiting can exhaust the patient for several hours in a row.
Dehydration (dehydration). Severe dehydration of the body develops during the first hours. The degree of dehydration depends on how much fluid the patient loses through stool and vomit, and how treatment is carried out. A loss of 10% of body weight corresponds to severe dehydration. Signs of dehydration in cholera are: irritability, drowsiness, thirst, sunken eyes, dry mouth, decreased skin turgor, decreased urine production, drop in blood pressure, arrhythmia, etc.

Dehydration is dangerous due to a sudden imbalance of minerals that play an important role in the body. This condition is called electrolyte imbalance. It requires urgent treatment, otherwise the patient may die.

Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance:

Muscle spasms and heart rhythm disturbances. As a result of the sudden loss of chlorides, potassium and other substances, muscle contractions, including the heart muscle, are disrupted (arrhythmia).
Shock. This is one of the most serious consequences of dehydration. Shock occurs when insufficient circulating blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure. If help is not provided in time, hypovolemic shock leads to death within minutes.

The symptoms of cholera in children are generally similar to those in adult patients.

But in children the disease is more severe and they may experience the following symptoms:

Depression of consciousness, up to coma.
High body temperature.
Cramps.

When should you see a doctor?

The risk of cholera is very low in developed countries, and even in disadvantaged areas you are unlikely to get sick if you follow government advice and good hygiene. But sporadic cases of cholera still occur around the world. If you experience diarrhea after visiting a dangerous region, consult a doctor. If you have profuse, watery diarrhea and you suspect cholera, seek medical attention immediately. Remember that severe dehydration can develop within the first hours of illness. Don't waste time!

Diagnosis of cholera

In dangerous areas, doctors initially suspect cholera, so most likely there will be no problems with making a diagnosis. But in parts of the world where cholera is rarely found, it may take time for doctors to make a correct diagnosis.

Today it is not necessary to do a culture and wait to confirm this or that infection. In developed countries, special rapid tests are used to quickly identify cholera. Rapid diagnosis reduces mortality and helps prevent cholera outbreaks through timely intervention.

Treatment of cholera

Cholera requires immediate treatment.

Treatment methods are as follows:

Rehydration. The main task is to restore lost water and electrolytes. To do this, use simple salt solutions, such as the well-known drug Regidron. These products are sold in powder form, which are dissolved in water and taken in portions at certain intervals. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe intravenous administration of special solutions. With proper rehydration, the mortality rate from cholera does not exceed 1%.
Antibiotics. Surprisingly, antibiotics are not a major part of cholera treatment. In some cases, the antibiotic doxycycline (Doxibene, Unidox) or azithromycin (Sumamed) is actually prescribed. The dosage and duration of treatment is determined only by the doctor.
Zinc preparations. Recent studies have shown that zinc may shorten the duration of diarrhea in children with cholera.

Complications of cholera

Cholera can quickly become fatal. In the most severe cases, this occurs within 2-3 hours, sometimes before the person is taken to the hospital. In other cases, death from dehydration may occur within a few days from the onset of the first symptoms.

In addition to the shock and severe dehydration mentioned above, cholera can cause the following complications:

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If a person becomes so weak that they are unable to even eat, hypoglycemia may occur. A deficiency of sugar, an essential nutrient for cells, causes seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death. The risk of such complications is highest in children.
Hypokalemia (low potassium levels). Cholera patients lose enormous amounts of electrolytes, including potassium. Very low potassium levels impair nerve function, cause arrhythmias, and can be life-threatening.
Kidney failure. When the kidneys' filtering capacity is impaired, excess toxins and some electrolytes accumulate in the body. This condition can lead to death. In cholera patients, kidney failure is often combined with

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that primarily affects the small intestine, disrupting water-salt metabolism with varying degrees of dehydration due to loss of fluid with copious watery stools and vomiting. Cholera is a particularly dangerous infection, as an epidemic may occur.

What causes cholera and how do you get it?

The causative agent of cholera is Vibrio cholerae. This is a curved, non-spore forming rod with one flagellum. There are two main types of Vibrio cholerae - classic (the causative agent of Asian cholera) and El Tor.

Basic cholera infection route- water, when drinking unboiled water from open reservoirs.

After passing the stomach, vibrios enter the small intestine and colonize the surface of the intestinal epithelium. But in patients with cholera, vibrio can be found throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

Having multiplied to a certain concentration, the pathogen causes disease.

Advanced disease accompanied by a large loss of fluid and ions of sodium, potassium, chlorides, and bicarbonates. People of any age are susceptible to Vibrio cholerae. The disease occurs more often and more severely in people who abuse alcohol or have undergone surgery to remove part of the stomach.

How does cholera manifest?

The period from infection to illness with cholera varies from several hours to 5 days, but usually 2-3 days. For those people who took antibiotics for prophylactic purposes and, despite this, fell ill, this period can increase to 9-10 days.

The disease is characterized by a sudden onset. The first, most pronounced manifestation of cholera is diarrhea. Typical cholera stool is a watery, cloudy-white liquid in which flakes float, resembles rice water in appearance, and is odorless. Early signs of cholera also include muscle weakness and cramps in the calf muscles. Subsequently, profuse and repeated vomiting appears against the background of loose stools.

Degrees and stages of dehydration in cholera

I degree. Characterized by a loss of body weight of 1-3%. The frequency of diarrhea and vomiting ranges from 2-3 to 5-6 times a day, they last 1-3 days. Patients' health is most often satisfactory, but mild general weakness, thirst, and dry mouth may bother them. The color of the skin and mucous membranes is not changed, pulse, blood pressure, urine output are within normal limits. Patients with this degree usually do not seek medical help.

At II degree body weight loss is 4-6%. The frequency of stools reaches 15-20 times or more per day, moderate pain in the epigastric region, as well as frequent vomiting, may appear. General and muscle weakness increases, the skin and mucous membranes are dry, the tongue is dry and covered with a white coating. A constant blue discoloration of the mucous membranes of the lips appears, the voice becomes hoarse and decreases. In some cases, short-term cramps of the masticatory muscles and muscles of the legs, feet and hands appear. Most patients experience increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, and decreased urination.

At III degree dehydration loss of body weight is 7-9%. The frequency of stools can exceed 25-35 times a day, and repeated vomiting is observed. This degree is characterized by severe general weakness, uncontrollable thirst, frequent painful spasms of the muscles of the arms, legs, abdomen, etc. There is a constant blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes. The skin becomes cold to the touch. The patient has a hoarse, almost silent voice. Body temperature can drop to 35.5 °C. Blood pressure is sharply reduced, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath are observed, and there is practically no urination. Facial features become sharper, cheeks and eyes become sunken.

At IV degree dehydration (cholera algide) more than 10% of body weight is lost. Signs of cholera develop rapidly with severe diarrhea and vomiting. The condition of the patients becomes extremely serious. Signs of dehydration are most pronounced in the form of sharpening of facial features, cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes, which become cold to the touch and covered with cold, sticky sweat. Characterized by severe cyanosis around the eyes (“a symptom of glasses”), “washerwoman’s hands”, a pained expression on the face, frequently repeated painful cramps of all muscle groups, a decrease in body temperature less than 35 C, absence of voice, a sharp disruption of the cardiovascular system: rapid heartbeat, pulse and blood pressure are not determined, shortness of breath increases.

Treatment of cholera

All people sick with cholera must be hospitalized. In addition to treatment aimed at replenishing fluid, both orally and intravenously, patients with cholera are shown antibiotics that reduce the duration of diarrhea and replenish water-salt losses. Doxycycline, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, furazolidone or ciprofloxacin are prescribed orally. The duration of antibacterial treatment is on average 3-5 days.

Internal administration of antibiotics is advisable after eliminating dehydration and stopping vomiting, which in most cases is achieved after 4-6 hours of treatment. In case of severe dehydration of the III-IV degree, tetracycline and chloramphenicol are administered intravenously in the first hour of therapy, and only then they switch to oral administration of the drug.

Cholera is an infectious disease that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Cholera affects the gastrointestinal tract and causes severe damage to the body. This manifests itself in severe exhaustion and dehydration of a person. As a result, the mortality rate from this disease reaches 50%. The most important thing is to recognize the disease in time and begin treatment immediately. Therefore, let's talk in more detail about what cholera is, the clinic, diagnosis, prevention, treatment of the infectious disease at the present time.

Pathogen

Any infectious disease has its own pathogen. The causative agent of cholera is Vibrio cholerae. This bacterium looks like a slightly curved rod with a flagellum at the end. Thanks to the flagellum, Vibrio cholerae can move very quickly and travel long distances.

Path of infection

Human infection occurs through the fecal-oral route. Infection can occur by consuming large amounts of raw water contaminated with bacteria, as well as unwashed vegetables, fruits, etc. The main role in such cases is played by the number of ingested bacteria and the condition of the body as a whole. If a person is healthy and does not have gastrointestinal diseases, then the dose of ingested bacteria should be very large.

Hydrochloric acid can kill a lot of vibrios, but if a person suffers from gastritis or other diseases of this type, then the risk of developing cholera increases hundreds of times. In addition, infection can occur through unwashed hands and by eating shellfish from contaminated water bodies, as they are capable of accumulating bacteria in their bodies.

Usually, the spread of cholera occurs in a certain circle of people who eat the same foods. In this group there are carriers who may not have any symptoms of the disease, but they release a huge amount of vibrio into the environment. In addition, bacteria get onto food and into the soil from the vomit and feces of sick people. In this case, this group of people is isolated in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

Clinic

Like any infection, cholera has its own incubation period. The duration of the incubation period is different for each person: from several hours to several days. At this time, a critical amount of bacteria accumulates in the body.

When pathogens enter the human small intestine, the acute phase of the disease begins. This phase is characterized by very severe diarrhea, which is not accompanied by abdominal pain.

The number of acts of defecation can reach 30 times a day. At first, the stool is liquid or mushy, and then becomes colorless with flakes floating in it. In addition to diarrhea, the person suffers from severe vomiting. First, the vomit contains semi-digested foods, and then in the form of “rice water”. Vomiting is not preceded by nausea. With such severe diarrhea and frequent vomiting, the human body quickly loses water.

There is severe dehydration, dry mucous membranes, sunken eyes, and decreased skin turgor. The disease is accompanied by convulsions, cardiac arrhythmias and lack of urine. There is a very strong exhaustion of the body. And the most important symptom is normal or slightly reduced body temperature. This is what distinguishes cholera from other infectious diseases.

If treatment measures do not begin within 12 hours, the person dies.
But this is a severe form of cholera. There are hidden forms. In this case, the person may not experience all of the listed symptoms, but he will be a carrier and infect other people.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing cholera is not difficult. Sometimes, bacteriological confirmation is not even required, since a clear clinical picture makes it easy to make an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment of cholera is based on replenishing water lost by the body. Next, replenishment of the balance of electrolytes in the body and further rehydration are carried out.

The drugs used for this are administered in the form of electrolyte solutions into a vein, and some of them are taken by patients in the form of tablets. The required amount of vitamins and nutrients is also restored. Along with these actions, the destruction of cholera vibrios also occurs. This therapy is also not difficult, because the bacterium is sensitive to ordinary tetracycline. Restorative therapy and a course of antibiotics will quickly get a person back on his feet. But the most important thing today remains the reduction in the number of cases of the disease.

Prevention

Cholera prevention is carried out at the state level. But all sanitary measures will not be effective if the person himself does not comply with basic safety measures. To prevent infection with Vibrio cholerae, you must wash your hands thoroughly, do not drink untreated water, buy food only from a safe place, and avoid swimming in prohibited areas. Take care of yourself! Finally, the cholera poster: Click on the picture to enlarge and then click a second time in the lower right corner for an even larger enlargement.