Cholera

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Definition

Cholera is a serious bacterial disease that often causes severe diarrhea. Cholera usually spreads through contaminated water. Left untreated, cholera can cause death in a matter of hours.

Modern sewage- and water-treatment facilities have virtually eliminated cholera in industrialized countries. The last major cholera outbreak in the United States occurred in 1911. But cholera is still present in other parts of the world, such as Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and particularly India and sub-Saharan Africa. The risk of cholera epidemic is highest when poverty, war or natural disasters force people to live in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation, a common cause of cholera outbreaks.

Unlike many infectious diseases, cholera is easily treated. Death results from severe dehydration that can be prevented with a simple and inexpensive rehydration solution.

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Symptoms