Cholera Disease Life Cycle In Humans Body And Effects.....
Cholera is caused by a germ called Vibrio cholerae; there are several different strains or types of vibrio, one of the most prevalent of recent years being the El Tor vibrio. The disease is spread by contaminated water or food, and carriers are important sources of infection.
Symptoms. The main early symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting. The typical stool contains flakes of mucus in a watery fluid, the rice-water stool of cholera. The diarrhoea is often extremely severe and a patient can lose several litres of fluid from his body very rapidly in this way. Dehydration can occur quickly in a patient with severe diarrhoea and vomiting, and this leads to collapse and shock.
Mild and even asymptomatic cases occur, and some of these may become unrecognized chronic carriers.
Diagnosis. Vibrb cholerae can be seen under a dark-ground microscope in a fresh specimen of stool; this is best obtained on a rectal swab which is immediately broken off into a small bottle of special transport broth. The vibrio can also be grown on solid medium in the laboratory. The important diagnosis is the clinical one, for there is no time to wait for a bacteriological report when a patient is ill with cholera.
Treatment. The essence of treatment is rehydration. Fluid must be given intravenously in bad cases, and the first litre or two must be run in quickly. The lost salt and water must be replaced, and bicarbonate may also be needed to counteract thegkcidosis which is often present. As soon as the patient responds to this treatment and his pulse becomes stronger, re- hydration can usually be continued by mouth. Children need special care, for it is more difficult to correct acidosis in them.
Tetracyclines and chloramphenicol are both effective in ridding the bowel of vibrios. Tetracyclines are much less toxic than chloramphenicol. A three-day course of tetracycline is enough in most cases.
Prevention. The most important part of prevention is good hygiene,
especially in relation to food and water supply. Health education and sanitation are vital to any scheme of prevention. Vaccines are available against the disease and cut down the frequency of attacks, but the protection does not last long.
Cholera is caused by a germ called Vibrio cholerae; there are several different strains or types of vibrio, one of the most prevalent of recent years being the El Tor vibrio. The disease is spread by contaminated water or food, and carriers are important sources of infection.
Symptoms. The main early symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting. The typical stool contains flakes of mucus in a watery fluid, the rice-water stool of cholera. The diarrhoea is often extremely severe and a patient can lose several litres of fluid from his body very rapidly in this way. Dehydration can occur quickly in a patient with severe diarrhoea and vomiting, and this leads to collapse and shock.
Mild and even asymptomatic cases occur, and some of these may become unrecognized chronic carriers.
Diagnosis. Vibrb cholerae can be seen under a dark-ground microscope in a fresh specimen of stool; this is best obtained on a rectal swab which is immediately broken off into a small bottle of special transport broth. The vibrio can also be grown on solid medium in the laboratory. The important diagnosis is the clinical one, for there is no time to wait for a bacteriological report when a patient is ill with cholera.
Treatment. The essence of treatment is rehydration. Fluid must be given intravenously in bad cases, and the first litre or two must be run in quickly. The lost salt and water must be replaced, and bicarbonate may also be needed to counteract thegkcidosis which is often present. As soon as the patient responds to this treatment and his pulse becomes stronger, re- hydration can usually be continued by mouth. Children need special care, for it is more difficult to correct acidosis in them.
Tetracyclines and chloramphenicol are both effective in ridding the bowel of vibrios. Tetracyclines are much less toxic than chloramphenicol. A three-day course of tetracycline is enough in most cases.
Prevention. The most important part of prevention is good hygiene,
especially in relation to food and water supply. Health education and sanitation are vital to any scheme of prevention. Vaccines are available against the disease and cut down the frequency of attacks, but the protection does not last long.
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