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Cholera is an
acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the
intestine with the bacterium. Thin infection can often be
mild without symptoms, but sometimes it can be severe. About
one in 20 infected persons has the severe disease
characterized by diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. In
people with severe cholera, rapid loss of body fluids leads
to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur
within hours.
A person can get
cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with
cholera bacterium. The disease can spread rapidly in areas
where there in inadequate treatment of the sewage and
drinking water. |
