Transmission: Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae serogroup O1 or O139. Serogroup O1 is the most common cause of illness in Latin America. The bacterium is transmitted between humans through water sources or food that have been contaminated. The bacterium is also able to survive in places that have unsafe drinking water, places that lack adequate water sanitation and places with poor hygiene. Cholera’s connection with water is one of the reasons it has the ability to multiply and reach large amounts of the population within a small amount of time.Often the bacterium is found along the banks of water sources causes outbreaks if this environment is disrupted. 

Symptoms: Average onset of symptoms is 2-3 days but can be as short as 5 hours. An acute infection can cause a painful abdomen, dehydration, diarrhea, and nausea. A severe infection affects one in ten  people who become infected and is accompanied by watery diarrhea, acidosis, leg cramps, circulatory collapse and vomiting which leads to rapid dehydration which can ultimately cause death. 

Treatment: Fluid replacement and salt replacement. A vaccine for serogroup O1 is currently being studied. However, Oral inactivates or non live Cholera vaccines such as Dukarol are currently available (except in the US).Prevention: Practice safe hand washing, hygienic food handling, and equipping isolated communities with improved water accessibility and sanitation systems.