Cholera

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her species are pathogenic for fish, eels, and frogs, as well as other vertebrates and invertebrates.
V. choerae and V. parahaemolyticus are pathogens of humans. Both produce diarrhea, but in ways that are entirely different. V. Parahaemolyticus is an invasive organism affecting primarily the codon; V. cholerae is non-invasive, affecting the small intestine through secretion of an enterotoxin.
V. cholerae produces cholera toxin, the model for enterotoxins, whose action on the mucosal epithelium is responsible for the characteristic diarrhea of the disease cholera. In it’s extreme manifestation, cholera is one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses known. A healthy person may become hypotensive within an hour of the onset of symptoms and may die within two to three hours if no treatment is provided.
Cholera often occurs in out breaks or epidemics. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that during any cholera epidemic, approximately 0.2 – 1% of the local population will contract the disease. Anyone can get cholera, but infants, children and the elderly are more likely to die from the disease because they become dehydrated quicker than adults. There is no particular season in which cholera is more likely to occur.
Because of an intensive system of sewage and water treatment in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia, cholera is generally not a concern for visitors and residents of these countries. People visiting or living in other parts of the world, particularly on the Indian subcontinent and in parts of Africa and South America, should be aware of the potential for contract...