Cholera causes
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Cholera causes On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Cholera causes |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [2]
Overview
Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.[1]. Persons infected with cholera have massive diarrhea. This highly liquid diarrhea, which is often compared to "rice water," is loaded with bacteria that can spread under unsanitary conditions to infect water used by other people.
Causes
- Cholera (or Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.[1]
- Transmission to humans is by ingesting contaminated water or food. The major reservoir for cholera was long assumed to be humans, but some evidence suggests that it is the aquatic environment.
- V. cholerae is a Gram-negative bacteria which produces cholera toxin, an enterotoxin, whose action on the mucosal epithelium lining of the small intestine is responsible for the characteristic massive diarrhea of the disease.[1]
- Vibrio cholerae has many different types or serogroups
- Only two of which can cause epidemic cholera if they also produce the cholera toxin. Those two serogroups include:
- Serogroup O1
- Serogroup O139 (found only in Asia)
- Serogroups which can cause a less severe diarrheal disease and does not have epidemic potential include:
- Non-O1 and non-O139 Vibrio cholerae (third most commonly reported group of Vibrio bacteria)
Infections are seasonal with a peak in the late summer and early fall, coinciding with the warmest water temperatures.
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![Crabs have been a repeated source of cholera in the United States and elsewhere, even though they are rarely eaten raw. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/2/26/Cholera10.jpeg)
Crabs have been a repeated source of cholera in the United States and elsewhere, even though they are rarely eaten raw. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Typical Vibrio cholera contaminated water supply. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/d/d2/Cholera16.jpeg)
Typical Vibrio cholera contaminated water supply. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria; Mag. 19058x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/3/36/Cholera07.jpeg)
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria; Mag. 19058x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/0/0d/Cholera06.jpeg)
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a flagellated Vibrio vulnificus bacterium; Mag. 26367x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/b/b9/Cholera05.jpeg)
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a flagellated Vibrio vulnificus bacterium; Mag. 26367x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/2/2c/Cholera04.jpeg)
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
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![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio cholerae bacteria of the serogroup 01; Magnified 22371x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/images/c/c8/Cholera03.jpeg)
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio cholerae bacteria of the serogroup 01; Magnified 22371x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]
![Crabs have been a repeated source of cholera in the United States and elsewhere, even though they are rarely eaten raw. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera10.jpeg)
![Typical Vibrio cholera contaminated water supply. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera16.jpeg)
![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria; Mag. 19058x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera07.jpeg)
![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera06.jpeg)
![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a flagellated Vibrio vulnificus bacterium; Mag. 26367x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera05.jpeg)
![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a grouping of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria; Mag. 13184x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera04.jpeg)
![Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts a number of Vibrio cholerae bacteria of the serogroup 01; Magnified 22371x. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). [2]](/index.php/File:Cholera03.jpeg)