Cholera 101: What You Need To Know

What Causes Cholera?

Cholera is a direct result of unhealthy sanitation practices and poor quality water. In places where water can be contaminated by fecal matter, cholera is highly prevalent. If water is not boiled or otherwise sanitized, individuals living in the area are at risk of contracting cholera. As sanitation and infrastructure improve in the developing world, the risk for communities contracting cholera will decrease.

Whenever visiting a country dealing with a cholera outbreak, travelers should be advised not to drink or brush their teeth with water from the tap. Due to overcrowding, communities experiencing cramped living conditions tend to experience cholera epidemics, where it can easily spread due to these unsanitary living conditions, or when there is a disruption in their water system.

Treatment And Prevention

Thankfully, there is a cholera vaccination for individuals who are at risk of contracting the bacterial disease. However, it has proven to be ineffective in about fifty percent of patients who receive the shot, and it does not last more than a few months. Regardless, an individual can still protect themselves if they are in a region known for cholera outbreaks by boiling the water before drinking or simply consuming bottled water instead. When dealing with a cholera outbreak, individuals are advised to use bottled water or boiled water for drinking, brushing their teeth, cooking, bathing, and washing themselves or household items such as dishes and laundry, and for rinsing fruits and vegetables.

Individuals can further prevent becoming infected or spreading cholera by not eating the peels of certain fruits and vegetables that might have been ineffectively washed and by not eating any raw shellfish. If an individual has contracted cholera, to help with dehydration, a physician will administer intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics, which will greatly help alleviate serious symptoms.