Cholera is diarrhea due to bacterial infection that named Vibrio cholerae. This disease can occur in adults and children and the diarrhea it causes can be severe enough to cause diarrhea dehydration.
Cholera is a disease that is transmitted through food or drink contaminated with bacteria. This condition usually occurs in densely populated areas and has a dirty environment.
Cholera is characterized by diarrhea with watery stools that are pale in color like rice water. Diarrhea experienced can be mild, severe, or even have no symptoms at all. If the patient has severe diarrhea due to cholera, it needs to be treated immediately, because it causes dehydration which can be fatal.
Causes of Cholera
Cholera is caused by a bacterial infection Vibrio cholerae. Cholera bacteria live in the wild, especially in aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, or wells. The main source of the spread of cholera bacteria is water and food contaminated with cholera bacteria.
Cholera bacteria can enter with food if the food is not cleaned and cooked properly before eating. Examples of types of food that can be a means of spreading cholera bacteria are:
- Seafood such as shellfish and fish.
- Vegetables and fruits.
- Grains such as rice and wheat.
Although in the food or drink consumed daily there is cholera bacteria, people who eat these foods are not directly affected by cholera. It takes cholera bacteria in large quantities in food or drink to make a person get cholera.
When a cholera bacterial infection occurs, the bacteria will multiply in the small intestine. The proliferation of cholera bacteria will interfere with human digestion by interfering with the absorption of water and minerals. This disorder causes a person to experience diarrhea, which is the main symptom of cholera.
In addition to several sources of cholera infection as mentioned above, there are also several factors that can increase the risk of contracting cholera bacteria, namely:
- Living in an unsanitary environment.
- Lives with a cholera sufferer.
- Blood type O.
Keep in mind, although living with a person with cholera can increase a person's risk of developing cholera, cholera is not transmitted from person to person directly. This is because the cholera bacteria cannot enter the digestive tract, except with food or water.
Symptoms of Cholera
The main symptom of cholera is diarrhea. Diarrhea that occurs due to cholera can be recognized from the patient's stools that are liquid and pale whitish in color like milk or rice washing water. Some people with cholera experience severe diarrhea, repeatedly, until they lose body fluids quickly (dehydration).
In addition to diarrhea, other symptoms that people with cholera can experience are:
- Nauseous
- Throw up
- stomach cramps
Symptoms of cholera in children are often more severe than in adults. Children with cholera are more prone to developing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which can cause seizures and loss of consciousness.
When to go to the doctor
Cholera can cause a person to become dehydrated. Immediately see a doctor if you experience symptoms of dehydration to get the right follow-up treatment. Symptoms of dehydration due to cholera to watch for include:
- Mouth feels dry
- Feeling very thirsty
- Body feels sluggish
- Easy to get angry
- Heart beat
- Eyes look sunken
- Wrinkled and dry skin
- Little or no urine that comes out
Children with cholera are more prone to dehydration than adults. Therefore, see a doctor immediately if your child experiences the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea that doesn't go away after 24 hours.
- High fever above 39 C
- Baby diapers are not wet 3-4 hours after changing.
- Stools are black or contain blood.
- Looks weak and sleepy.
- Dry mouth or tongue.
- Cheeks, stomach, and eyes look sunken.
Cholera Diagnosis
As a first step, the doctor will ask questions related to the symptoms experienced by the patient and the diseases that have been suffered before. The doctor will also ask about the health of family members and environmental conditions where the patient lives, the food and drinks consumed.
After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination and perform further tests. Follow-up tests are carried out by taking a stool sample to be checked in the laboratory, to find the presence of cholera bacteria in the stool.
Cholera Treatment
The main treatment for people with cholera is to prevent dehydration. The doctor will give ORS solution to replace fluids and mineral ions in the body. If the patient continues to vomit so that he cannot drink, the patient needs to be treated and given intravenous fluids.
In addition to maintaining body fluids, doctors can give other drugs to treat cholera, namely:
- Drug antibioticsTo reduce the number of bacteria while speeding up the healing of diarrhea, the doctor will give antibiotics, such as: tetracycline, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, or azithromycin.
- Ssupplement zincZinc (zinc) is also often given to accelerate the healing of diarrhea in children.
Cholera Complications
The large loss of fluids and electrolytes from cholera can be fatal. Severe dehydration leads to shock and is the most dangerous complication of cholera. In addition, there are other complications that can arise from cholera, namely:
- Kidney failure.
- Hypokalemia, or potassium deficiency.
- Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels.
Cholera Prevention
The risk of contracting cholera can be minimized by maintaining personal hygiene, for example by diligently washing hands using running water and soap, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
In addition to personal hygiene, the cleanliness of the food and drinks consumed also needs to be considered. The trick is to:
- Don't buy food that is not guaranteed to be clean
- Do not eat raw or undercooked food
- Do not consume fresh, unprocessed milk
- Drink bottled mineral water or water that has been boiled until it boils
- Wash vegetables and fruit before eating
To be more protected from this disease, you can get a cholera vaccination, especially if you live in an area with a lot of cholera cases. The cholera vaccine is taken 2 times with an interval of 7 days to 6 weeks, to provide protection for 2 years.