Finding a Cure for Cholera

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Traveling to different countries can be an exciting experience. However, there are some things you should be aware of as you travel. One thing you should be alert on is capturing an infectious disease such as Cholera. Cholera is an infectious disease, which can make you become severely ill and possibly can lead to death if not taken under care properly.

What is Cholera?
Cholera was first discovered in 1883 as an infectious disease due to bacterium Vibrio cholera1. It takes place in the small bowel (the small intestine). The most common entry is through contaminated food or water1. The reason for these items affecting our system is because they have previously been in contact with poor sanitary conditions such as feces (waste product) from an infected person or animal. Also, it can come from the consumption of seafood. When the bacterium Vibrio cholera comes into contact inside the small bowel, it settles in and releases toxins. The toxin present increases the amount of water being released from the cells, which leads to common symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.

Common Symptom Signs
Sometimes when a person is infected with Cholera, it can be a mild infection with no symptoms at all. But there are slim chances when it can be severely infected including symptoms. Some symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, low blood pressure, and restlessness. With the lost of liquids from the body due to diarrhea and vomiting, it makes the person dehydrated which possibly leads the body to shock mode2. ‪Due to dehydration, you lose potassium and sodium. ‬If treatment does not appear in time, it can lead to death. This occurs because the person’s stool gets built up in the body and the body is not getting filtered properly.

Beware!!! The Places Most Likely to Receive Cholera
Cholera is rare to see in the United States because we are very well in our sanitary conditions. However, when traveling to other countries, this is when you will see a much bigger problem of the disease, Cholera. Other countries have inadequate water treatment and poor sanitation, and lack of sewage treatment2. A couple countries where there is a problem of Cholera are Mexico, India, Afghanistan, and part of Southern Africa just to name a few. When visiting these countries, there is always something you can do to prevent in receiving the infectious disease.

What Can You Do?
There are a couple of ways you can prevent yourself of getting the infectious disease especially when visiting other countries.

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