Parasite notes
Vibrio Cholerae
Vibrio Cholerae is a bacterium in the family of Vibrionaceae. This Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming curved rod bacterium causes an acute diarrheal infection due to water or food ingested contaminated with bacterium Vibrio Cholerae. Cholera infects an estimated 3-5 million persons every year and causes about 100,000-120,000 deaths. There is a short incubation period of two hours to five days, which greatly enhances the potential of cholera’s dangerous outbreak pattern. About seventy-five percent of cases do not have any symptoms, even though the bacteria are present in their feces for 7-14 days post infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people. Approximately 5% of infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse “rice water” like diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours of infection. According to the World Health Organization, “Cholera is an easily treatable disease. Up to 80% of people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration salts.” In the case of very severely dehydrated patients, the patients require administration of intravenous fluids. In addition to the IV fluids, such patients also require appropriate antibiotics to reduce the duration of diarrhea. The medication reduces the volume of rehydration fluids needed, and shorten the duration of V. cholerae excretion. Excessive administration of antibiotics is not recommended, as it does not affect the spread of cholera and contributes to increasing antimicrobial resistance.
Currently, there are two safe and effective oral vaccines readily available on the market for cholera. The two are whole-cell killed vaccines, one with a recombinant B-sub unit, and the other is without. The vaccines have been able to sustain protection of over 50% lasting for two
Vibrio Cholerae is a bacterium in the family of Vibrionaceae. This Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming curved rod bacterium causes an acute diarrheal infection due to water or food ingested contaminated with bacterium Vibrio Cholerae. Cholera infects an estimated 3-5 million persons every year and causes about 100,000-120,000 deaths. There is a short incubation period of two hours to five days, which greatly enhances the potential of cholera’s dangerous outbreak pattern. About seventy-five percent of cases do not have any symptoms, even though the bacteria are present in their feces for 7-14 days post infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people. Approximately 5% of infected persons will have severe disease characterized by profuse “rice water” like diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these people, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours of infection. According to the World Health Organization, “Cholera is an easily treatable disease. Up to 80% of people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration salts.” In the case of very severely dehydrated patients, the patients require administration of intravenous fluids. In addition to the IV fluids, such patients also require appropriate antibiotics to reduce the duration of diarrhea. The medication reduces the volume of rehydration fluids needed, and shorten the duration of V. cholerae excretion. Excessive administration of antibiotics is not recommended, as it does not affect the spread of cholera and contributes to increasing antimicrobial resistance.
Currently, there are two safe and effective oral vaccines readily available on the market for cholera. The two are whole-cell killed vaccines, one with a recombinant B-sub unit, and the other is without. The vaccines have been able to sustain protection of over 50% lasting for two
References: 1. http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/about/en/index.html