

People living in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation are especially at risk. Contaminated public wells are frequent sources of large-scale cholera outbreaks. The toxin causes the body to secrete enormous amounts of water, leading to diarrhea and a rapid loss of fluids and salts (electrolytes).Ĭholera bacteria might not cause illness in all people who are exposed to them, but they still pass the bacteria in their stool, which can contaminate food and water supplies.Ĭontaminated water supplies are the main source of cholera infection.

The deadly effects of the disease are the result of a toxin the bacteria produces in the small intestine. This is called an electrolyte imbalance.Ī bacterium called Vibrio cholerae causes cholera infection.
DOES A PERSON WITH 1 KIDNEY DRINK BODY ARMOUR DRINK SKIN
Signs and symptoms of cholera dehydration include irritability, fatigue, sunken eyes, a dry mouth, extreme thirst, dry and shriveled skin that's slow to bounce back when pinched into a fold, little or no urinating, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat.ĭehydration can lead to a rapid loss of minerals in your blood that maintain the balance of fluids in your body. A loss of 10% or more of body weight indicates severe dehydration. Dehydration can develop within hours after cholera symptoms start and range from mild to severe.

Vomiting occurs especially in the early stages of cholera and can last for hours.ĭehydration. Diarrhea due to cholera often has a pale, milky appearance that resembles water in which rice has been rinsed. Cholera-related diarrhea comes on suddenly and can quickly cause dangerous fluid loss - as much as a quart (about 1 liter) an hour. Symptoms of cholera infection can include: Others develop more-serious signs and symptoms of cholera, usually within a few days of infection. Most cases of cholera that cause symptoms cause mild or moderate diarrhea that's often hard to tell apart from diarrhea caused by other problems. But because they shed cholera bacteria in their stool for seven to 14 days, they can still infect others through contaminated water. Most people exposed to the cholera bacterium (Vibrio cholerae) don't become ill and don't know they've been infected.
