Top 5 Deadliest Diseases- Cholera

With over 20 million deaths, Cholera is ranked the fifth deadliest disease. Cholera is diarrheal disease caused by consuming the food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera is most commonly found in parts of the world with inadequate water and sanitation systems, such as Latin America, parts of Africa, and South and Southeast Asia.

There have been a total of 7 pandemics, with the first beginning in 1817 in India and spreading to other regions of the world such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and the last beginning in 1961 in Indonesia and spreading to India, Russia, and North Africa.

Common Symptoms of Cholera include:

• Muscle Cramps
• Diarrhea
• Upset Stomach/vomiting
• Dehydration

Symptoms appear 12 hours to 5 days after the infection.

Keep aware of signs of severe dehydration, including:

• Low blood sugar
• Fever and chills
• Changes in breathing patterns
• Altered mental state
• Kidney failure
• Loss of consciousness

Treatment

The main treatment for Cholera is rehydration therapy such as drinking plenty of fluids or getting intravenous fluids, which are speculated liquids that are injected into your veins to prevent/treat dehydration and keep you hydrated. Another treatment is taking antibiotics such as Azithromycin, Doxycycline, and Tetracycline.

SOURCES

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMhttps://www.cdc.gov/cholera/signs-symptoms/index.html C4154910/
• https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/signs-symptoms/index.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/treatment/index.html
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16636-cholera