Cholera
Cholera a Continuing Epidemic
Cholera is defined as an acute and often fatal intestinal disease that produces severe gastrointestinal symptoms and is usually caused by the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae (Encarta). The cholera bacterium infects the small intestine causing severe diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. The Mayo Clinic staff reports that cholerae vibrio itself is not deadly and easily treatable, however the severe symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting induced by the bacteria often cause major dehydration and loss of electrolytes, thus leading to death in many people whose symptoms are not treated. One can only imagine that without adequate heath care and resources the major groups of people who are affected by this epidemic are people who live in predominately poor countries and communities. Cholera is not usually a problem in countries that are equipped with modern plumbing or technology such as the United States of America, but instead it is widely spread in very poor countries that do not have clean water and food supplies. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the Cholera bacterium is usually found in water sources that have been contaminated by feces. This means that the disease is not usually transmitted by person to person contact, but instead it is usually passed because someone with the bacteria has contaminated water or food that has been ingested by an unaffected person. Throughout the years there have been many Cholera outbreaks, but the most recent that has been reported is the outbreak in Haiti. There have been several reports as to how the outbreak started, but it all comes back to contaminated food and water sources. In fact Charles Davis M.D. states that the major cause of the Cholera outbreak
Cholera is defined as an acute and often fatal intestinal disease that produces severe gastrointestinal symptoms and is usually caused by the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae (Encarta). The cholera bacterium infects the small intestine causing severe diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. The Mayo Clinic staff reports that cholerae vibrio itself is not deadly and easily treatable, however the severe symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting induced by the bacteria often cause major dehydration and loss of electrolytes, thus leading to death in many people whose symptoms are not treated. One can only imagine that without adequate heath care and resources the major groups of people who are affected by this epidemic are people who live in predominately poor countries and communities. Cholera is not usually a problem in countries that are equipped with modern plumbing or technology such as the United States of America, but instead it is widely spread in very poor countries that do not have clean water and food supplies. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the Cholera bacterium is usually found in water sources that have been contaminated by feces. This means that the disease is not usually transmitted by person to person contact, but instead it is usually passed because someone with the bacteria has contaminated water or food that has been ingested by an unaffected person. Throughout the years there have been many Cholera outbreaks, but the most recent that has been reported is the outbreak in Haiti. There have been several reports as to how the outbreak started, but it all comes back to contaminated food and water sources. In fact Charles Davis M.D. states that the major cause of the Cholera outbreak