Why is cholera dangerous

Uncooked fruits, vegetables, and other foods can also contain the bacteria that cause cholera. Anyone can become sick with cholera, but a few factors may increase your risk. These include:. The majority of people exposed to cholera never become ill. Cholera usually causes mild to moderate diarrhea, like other illnesses.

One in 10 people who are infected will develop typical symptoms within 2 to 3 days after infection. The dehydration caused by cholera is usually severe and can cause tiredness, moodiness, sunken eyes, dry mouth, shriveled skin, extreme thirst, reduced urine output , irregular heartbeat , and low blood pressure. Dehydration may lead to loss of minerals in your blood.

This can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. 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.

Cholera in figures. A few hours. Source : WHO. Cholera — present in many parts of the world. How does cholera spread? Factors that increase the risk of a cholera outbreak The presence of the bacteria!

The history of cholera outbreaks finally elucidated Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, in collaboration with several international institutions, recently published a landmark study in the journal Science.

WHO target. Press release. Find out more in the press area at pasteur. Cholera today The world is currently witnessing its seventh cholera pandemic. Public health. Related press documents. Cholera outbreak in Yemen elucidated using genomics. The seventh cholera pandemic has been affecting world regions since In successive waves, Vibrio cholerae bacteria have been accompanying humans En savoir plus. Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, in collaboration with several other international institutions, recently In response to the risk of epidemics in the regions affected by the disaster, the Institut Pasteur, which is engaged in the battle against infectious Central nervous system infections: how group B streptococci cross the blood-brain barrier.

Central nervous system infections are devastating diseases, with a high mortality rate and long-term neurological disabilities in those who survive Regulation of metabolic pathways: lessons from an intracellular bacterium. Bacteria that grow inside cells depend on their host cell for access to nutrients. HIV: reprogramming cells to control infection. Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in previously healthy people. Modern sewage and water treatment have virtually eliminated cholera in industrialized countries.

But cholera still exists in Africa, Southeast Asia and Haiti. The risk of a cholera epidemic is highest when poverty, war or natural disasters force people to live in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation. Cholera is easily treated. Death from severe dehydration can be prevented with a simple and inexpensive rehydration solution.

Most people exposed to the cholera bacterium Vibrio cholerae don't become ill and don't know they've been infected. But because they shed cholera bacteria in their stool for seven to 14 days, they can still infect others through contaminated water. Most cases of cholera that cause symptoms cause mild or moderate diarrhea that's often hard to tell apart from diarrhea caused by other problems.

Others develop more-serious signs and symptoms of cholera, usually within a few days of infection. Dehydration can develop within hours after cholera symptoms start and range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms of cholera dehydration include irritability, fatigue, sunken eyes, a dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry and shriveled skin that's slow to bounce back when pinched into a fold, little or no urinating, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat.

Dehydration can lead to a rapid loss of minerals in your blood that maintain the balance of fluids in your body. This is called an electrolyte imbalance. When cholera patients are treated quickly, they usually recover without long-term consequences. Cholera patients do not typically become carriers of the cholera bacteria after they recover, but they get sick if exposed again. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

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