Karla Obasi
HEA 341
Disease Research Report
December 9, 2010
CHOLERA
Disease Defined Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea. Cholera is a bacterial disease (caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae) usually spread through contaminated water. The bacteria, which are found in fecal-contaminated food and water and in raw or undercooked seafood, produce a toxin that affects the intestines causing diarrhea, vomiting, and severe fluid and electrolyte loss. This overwhelming dehydration is the outstanding characteristic of the disease and is the main cause of death. Cholera has a short incubation period (two or three days) and runs a quick course. In untreated cases the death rate is
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In this setting, the disease occurs primarily in young children, who are exposed to the organism for the first time, and in the elderly, who have lower gastric acid production and waning immunity. The poor are at greatest risk because they often lack safe water supplies, are unable to maintain proper hygiene within the home, and may depend on street vendors or other unregulated sources for food and drink. Recent epidemiologic research suggests that an individual's susceptibility to cholera (and other diarrheal infections) is affected by their blood type: those with type O blood are the most susceptible, while those with type AB are the most resistant. Between these two extremes are the A and B blood types, with type A being more resistant than type B.
Signs and Symptoms * Dry mucus membranes or mouth * Dry skin * Excessive thirst * Glassy or sunken eyes * Lack of tears * Lethargy * Low urine output * Nausea * Rapid dehydration * Abdominal cramps * Watery diarrhea * Rapid pulse * Vomiting
The usual incubation period is 2 to 5 days, although it can be as short as several hours. Severe cholera is characterized by a sudden onset of profuse, watery diarrhea accompanied by nausea and vomiting. If left untreated, this can rapidly lead to serious dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and circulatory collapse. Over 50% of the most severe cases die within a few hours; with prompt, effective treatment,
5. The release of a toxin from the cholera bacteria is what causes people to experience the dreadful symptoms. A negative health concern of killing the cholera at a quick rate is that since the phages will prevent symptoms from increasingly becoming worse, the “dead” cholera in the intestine may sit there for a longer amount of time instead of running straight through the person which may do more damage to the intestine.
1. Models are analogies that allow us to clarify hypotheses—proposed explanation of relationships between. What roles do models play in testing hypotheses?
Some of the most emerging and re-emerging agents of the waterborne diseases are; Cholera which is caused by the ingestion of water that is infected by Vibrio Cholerae. This is a painless form of diarrhea characterized by watery stool. Dysentery which is caused by Escherichia Coli. Typhoid that is caused by Salmonella typhi which is usually accompanied by fever is yet another disease. Gastroenteritis diseases caused by Giardia and Cryptosporodia and some species of hepatitis are also known to be caused by water (CDC, 2011). These disease causing agents find their way into the human body through infected water that people from the poorer communities in Uganda use and have no option of cleaner water.
Causes: Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria releases a toxin that causes increased release of water from cells in the intestines, which produces severe
Outbreaks of cholera were not isolated to the European and Asian continents, as several major cases within the United States have been recorded back to colonial times. As trade increased with the old world, infected sailors bringing the disease to major port cities, spreading it even further as products became distributed across the nation. Famously documented as one of the most vital turning points for public health medicine within the US, the city of Chicago mirrored what was unfolding in the 1854 London outbreak. Congruent to Snow’s findings, entire families suddenly became severely ill and dying off. As an effort to combat the pestilence, Ellis Chesbrough, an already established railroad engineer, designed a series of sewer systems modeled
Between the 1830’s to 1860’s, cholera spread into the United States from India by trade routes. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by drinking or eating material that is infected with Vibrio cholerae. Cholera causes watery diarrhoea, but can show days later or never show
Cholera is an intestinal infection that can claim its victim’s life within hours if not treated promptly. It is caused by eating or drinking something that is contaminated with
12 Joaquín Sánchez; Jan Holmgren (February 2011). "Cholera toxin – A foe & a friend" (PDF). Indian Journal of Medical Research. 133. p. 158.
Norovirus and Salmonella are the two most common pathogens, resulting in the most hospitalizations and deaths. Norovirus is a pathogen that infects the stomach and intestines by causing inflammation. Symptoms of norovirus include; nausea/vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain leading to dehydration causing one to urinate more frequently and feel dizzy while standing up. In order to avoid contracting the Norovirus, the CDC recommends thoroughly washing fruits, vegetables and cooking seafood to appropriate temperatures, which can survive up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/preventing-infection.html). Salmonella affects the gastrointestinal tract when bacteria is swallowed, mainly coming from raw food products; eggs,
Vibrio cholerae is a bacterium that infects the intestines of humans (CDC, 2016). While there are several strains of vibrio cholerae, only two types have been known to cause cholera outbreaks and only one (type O1) is responsible for outbreaks globally (WHO, 2015). Cholera infection is an acute diarrheal disease (CDC, 2016). It is extremely virulent and can affect children and adults with equal severity if left untreated (WHO, 2015). Vibrio cholerae has a short incubation period of 2 to 5 days, an aspect of the disease that leads to severe patterns of outbreaks (WHO, 2015).
Water-borne diseases are caused by the ingestion of water contaminated by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites. These pathogens are spread through the feces or urine of an infected individual (africaneeds). The most common diseases are cholera, guinea worm and typhoid. People can easily contract these diseases if there is no system of sewage collection and treatment. In fact, almost 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to adequate sanitation (UN water). Climate change can also impact the water crisis in Africa. Water is necessary for survival, and when areas get
Cholera remains a drastically severe disease, killing hundreds of people each outbreak. When ingested, it attaches to the mucosal lining of the intestines and disrupts the normal flow of ions so that there is more sodium, chloride, and water in the intestinal lumen than normal and results in massive diarrhea. Cholera has made a global impact and been endemic in almost all parts of the world. Cholera control strongly emphasizes sanitation, clean drinking water, isolation, and careful food preparation. Two ways our body works against cholera as a self-limiting disease are sloughing cells and the secretory immunoglobulin (sIgA) antibody produced by mucus throughout our body. There are
The disease, cholera, is an infection of the intestines, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. As stated in Microbes and Infections of the Gut, the bacterium is “a Gram-negative, comma- shaped, highly motile organism with a single terminal flagellum” (105). Cholera is characterized by the most significant symptom that presents with the disease, diarrhea, and victims can lose up to twenty liters of body fluids in a day. Cholera can be a serious disease, due to the serious dehydration that can occur, but it is only fatal if treatment is not administered as soon as possible. This research paper includes information on the causes of cholera, symptoms, ways of treatment, studies of treatments, complications that may occur, the
The second phase of the disease involves the bacteria entering the immune tissue of the small intestine. This causes vomiting and diarrhea, often described as "pea soup." If left untreated, the bacteria can create a hole in the small intestine, causing intestinal matter to flood the abdominal area. If one is lucky enough to survive this illness without treatment, he or she can still be a carrier of the germs long after the symptoms have disappeared.
Following a dysentery outbreak in Saudi Arabia, el Bushra et.al.(1999) conducted a retrospective cohort study. They found that 94% of the cases had a history of close contact with another case of dysentery. Risk factors influencing the spread of bacillary dysentery within families included two rooms or fewer per house and a family size of five or more12.