History, Causes, and Symptoms of Cholera - Research Paper Example

Cholera This paper intends to discuss cholera. First of all, a brief history of cholera has been given. Then, its causes have been discussed, followed by its symptoms. After that, its diagnosis and treatment have been taken into account. Prognosis and prevention have been illustrated. The report is summarized in a concluding paragraph and APA referencing style has been followed properly. History According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), “Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.” In other words, Cholera is an infectious disease in which small intestine gets infected and watery diarrhea heavily starts. “The history of cholera begins in the waters of the Ganges River in India”, writes Peters in his book, Cholera: Curse of the Nineteenth Century (2004). India, in 1800s, saw deaths of millions of people when cholera spread from dirty standing waters in Calcutta. It was the time when eight choleric pandemics/epidemics started which spread across countries and continents, the first of which started in 1817-1823 spreading from India to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, and killing a lot of people with its deadly infection (Barua and Greenough, 1992, p.5-9). The last epidemic, which was eighth in number, occurred in Pohnpei and added to the death toll. Currently, it has spread to Peru, South Africa and the Marshall Islands. However, the later choleric epidemics saw fewer deaths than those which happened in India in 1800 because scientists like Filippo Pacini and Robert Koch devised tools and treatments to understand and control cholera, which lowered down the death statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), “Cholera has been very rare in industrialized nations for the last 100 years; however, the disease is still common today in other parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa.” United States has introduced sophisticated methods of water purification and sanitation system due to which it has been easy to prevent and treat cholera. Causes The bacteria that cause cholera are found in such water and food that has been contaminated by stool from an infected person. Cholera is mostly found in those regions where there is poor water treatment and sanitation, and where hygiene is not maintained properly. Since cholera spreads due to consumption of contaminated water and food, it does not spread through physical contact with the person. People travelling to regions where cholera is in place may also catch it. The bacteria, Vibrio cholera that causes cholera, “releases a toxin that causes increased release of water in the intestines, which produces severe diarrhea” (A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, 2010). Symptoms The symptoms of cholera include, with range between no symptom to mild to severe, abdominal pain, leg cramps, dryness of mouth and skin, increased thirst, sunken eyes with inability to produce tears, tiredness, decreased urine production, dehydration because of loss of water from the body through diarrhea, increased heart rate, nausea causing vomiting, shock in extreme symptoms, and most importantly, watery diarrhea with fishy odor. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), 5 out of 20 infected persons will show extreme symptoms, and symptoms usually appear as soon as within a few hours or maximum 2-3 days. However, in severe dehydration and absence of treatment, death also occurs. Diagnosis Initial diagnosis is done at home when symptoms are observed especially when cholera epidemic has been spread locally. In order to diagnose cholera in the laboratory, two types of tests are conducted. One is blood culture and the other is stool culture. Blood Culture Blood culture is a laboratory test that is used to test the presence of bacteria in the blood. For blood culture, blood sample is taken from the arm or hand of the person and then the sample is sent to the lab for test. If the values are within the range, then there is no infection; otherwise, the person is infected with cholera. Stool culture In stool or fecal culture, stool sample is taken either directly from the toilet seat or with a swab. The sample is then sent to the laboratory where the technician checks for growth of any microorganisms present in the sample. If growth is observed, then the sample contains cholera bacteria. Treatment The basic and the most important yet simple treatment for cholera is to provide the body with necessary fluid, electrolytes and salts that have been lost from the body during the whole course of diarrhea. The physician decides after considering the condition of the patient how fluids will be given. They are given either through the mouth (by ORS- Oral Rehydration Salts) or injected into the vein (intravenous method). ORS packets are readily available over-the-counter. They contain glucose and electrolytes to rehydrate the body. Antibiotics are also given to reduce the sick feeling when the patient is suffering from severe infection. Antibiotics that physicians normally use for this purpose are “tetracycline (Sumycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox and others), furazolidone (Furoxone), erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone), or ciprofloxacin (Cipro, Cipro XR, Proquin XR) in conjunction with IV hydration” (Davis, 2011). In case of severe dehydration, IV drips of Ringer Lactate are given to the patient. The patient is constantly assessed after every couple of hours once the hydration treatment has been started. IV drips are given with fewer intervals if the patient does seem to improve. A full reassessment is done after every six hours in case of infants, and after every three hours in case of elderly patients. Once the patient starts showing improvement, the IV drips are replaced by the ORS when he is able to consume it orally. Prognosis Cholera prognosis depends upon the severity of dehydration as well as on how quickly the treatment is sought. “Death (mortality) rates in untreated cholera can be as high as 50%-60% during large outbreaks but can be reduced to about 1%” if treatment is given properly (Davis, 2011). Hence, we can say that the less the severity of dehydration, the better the prognosis because survival chances increase. Prevention Why developed countries have almost no chances of occurrence of cholera today is that these countries have made their efforts toward purification of water and food through sophisticated treatment processes. However, it is still necessary to take steps to prevent cholera when living in or travelling to regions where cholera epidemic has occurred. One should drink only that water that has been chemically treated and purified or boiled; those beverages that are bottled or cans; and, such food that has been cooked under proper hygienic conditions. Food should not be undercooked or raw when in the form of meat. The place where one is living should be clean with proper sanitation. One should wash his hands before eating and after going to the toilet with a medicated soap. The key to prevention is to maintain proper hygiene inside and outside of the home. Conclusion To sum up, cholera is an infectious disease of intestines causing watery diarrhea that may lead to death if proper treatment is not sought quickly. Cholera spreads due to contamination of water and food. Symptoms may be mild or severe depending upon the severity of dehydration. Laboratory tests are conducted to diagnose cholera. Once confirmed, it should be treated with rehydration methods of ORS, IV drips, and antibiotics because it is vital to regain lost salts and fluids that the body loses while diarrhea. Prognosis is good with early treatment. Cholera can be prevented by maintaining proper hygiene. References A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. (2010). PubMed Health. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001348/ Barua, D., & Greenough, W.B. (1992). Cholera. USA: Springer. Davis, C.P. (2011). Cholera. MedicineNet.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.medicinenet.com/cholera/page4.htm#treatment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Cholera. Retrieved October 16, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/cholera/index.html Peters, S.T. (2004). Cholera: Curse of the Nineteenth Century. USA: Marshall Cavendish. Read More