Cholera Paper
Lorelei Chamberlain
ROTC
3/11/2013
Cholera
We all know of and have experienced many diseases during our lifetimes, ranging from the common cold, to the flu, and even strep throat. However, there are many diseases that are relatively unknown by the public, such as Ebola, Kuru, or Carpenter syndrome. Some diseases that, although not initially fatal, can become fatal if not known about or treated properly. In the case of some diseases, the side effects of it are even more deadly than the original disease itself. Therefore, it is critically important to discuss these diseases and understand them better. For that reason, I am here today to inform you about a disease known as Cholera, which has been gripping underdeveloped nations for decades. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae has multiple strains which cause slightly different symptoms and can also be confined to certain regions of the globe. For this report, I will be focusing on the strand O1, which is the most common disease inducing strand of Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae was first found to be the cause of cholera by an Italian anatomist by the name of Filippo Pacini in 1854, but his discovery was not widely known until Robert Koch 30 years later publicized the knowledge and the means of fighting the disease. Vibrio cholerae is most commonly spread through the ingestion, also known as eating or drinking, of food or water infected with the bacteria. The initial symptoms of infection are profuse diarrhea and vomiting of clear fluid. Some secondary symptoms are irritability, lethargy, 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 urine output, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat; these are all symptoms of dehydration, which is a secondary effect of Cholera on the body. Cholera is most common in underdeveloped places such as Africa, Asia,
ROTC
3/11/2013
Cholera
We all know of and have experienced many diseases during our lifetimes, ranging from the common cold, to the flu, and even strep throat. However, there are many diseases that are relatively unknown by the public, such as Ebola, Kuru, or Carpenter syndrome. Some diseases that, although not initially fatal, can become fatal if not known about or treated properly. In the case of some diseases, the side effects of it are even more deadly than the original disease itself. Therefore, it is critically important to discuss these diseases and understand them better. For that reason, I am here today to inform you about a disease known as Cholera, which has been gripping underdeveloped nations for decades. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae has multiple strains which cause slightly different symptoms and can also be confined to certain regions of the globe. For this report, I will be focusing on the strand O1, which is the most common disease inducing strand of Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae was first found to be the cause of cholera by an Italian anatomist by the name of Filippo Pacini in 1854, but his discovery was not widely known until Robert Koch 30 years later publicized the knowledge and the means of fighting the disease. Vibrio cholerae is most commonly spread through the ingestion, also known as eating or drinking, of food or water infected with the bacteria. The initial symptoms of infection are profuse diarrhea and vomiting of clear fluid. Some secondary symptoms are irritability, lethargy, 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 urine output, low blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat; these are all symptoms of dehydration, which is a secondary effect of Cholera on the body. Cholera is most common in underdeveloped places such as Africa, Asia,