Transmission


Cholera is usually spread by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with the bacteria that cause cholera (Vibrio cholerae).

There are two ways that Vibrio cholerae usually gets into water or food:


(1)   Contaminated faeces

(2)   Naturally


Contaminated faeces


In an epidemic, the source of contamination is usually the faeces of an infected person. Cholera can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.

Contamination in drinking water that can cause cholera 

Contamination in sewage that can cause cholera

Naturally


The cholera bacterium may also live in the environment in brackish (saltwater) rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish which have been a source of cholera will be eaten raw. A few people in the United States have contracted cholera after eating raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico.


Does cholera spread from person to person?


Cholera usually spreads through food and water and so is not likely to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill. To be infected by the cholera bacterium, it has to be ingested into the intestinal tract.


8 comments:

  1. How did vibrio cholerae gets into food and water?

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    Replies
    1. The most common way that the Vibrio cholerae bacterium can be in water is from the faeces of a patient that is not properly treated. As for food, the bacterium may be transferred by animal vectors such as the fly.

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  2. Is cholera lethal? And does it leave any permanent damage to the body?

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    1. Cholera is only lethal to human if death is accompanied with the disease. Besides that cholera only causes dehydration and loss of electrolytes which can be slowly replenished during recovery.

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  3. Does our antibodies affect the chances of someone getting cholera? For example, if someone antibodies is strong even if he or she had contaminated food or drinks, will cholera still be able to affect the person?

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    Replies
    1. If a person has the cholera bacterium in his or her body but does not experience any symptoms he / she is called an asymptomatic patient. These people does not experience symptoms due to a lot of different factors.

      1. The antibodies in their body are able to neutralise the toxin released by Vibrio cholerae.

      2. They have been injected with cholera vaccine before are more immune to the disease.

      3. The amount of Vibrio cholerae injested is too little to cause any real symptoms.

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  4. You mentioned that cholera is not likely to spread from one person to another. But what if we accidentally come into contact with the saliva or body fluids of a cholera patient?
    Besides, do you mean that it is a must for us to eat cooked food and water so as to avoid cholera?

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    Replies
    1. Bodily contact with a patient's bodily fluids (eg. saliva) has only a slim chance of you being infected. Most of the bacterium is present in faeces of the patient instead of his bodily fluids. Moreover, mere surface contact with the patient will not cause cholera to be spread since the bacterium has to be injested into the body and reach the intestines (if the person is hygienic).

      Eating cooked food and boiled water is a protection against cholera because like many other bacteria, Vibrio cholerae will be killed under high temperatures.

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