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Definition :

It is an Acute infectious diseases characterized by dehydration due to loss of fluid with watery diarrhea & vomiting.

Etiology :

1. Causative agent - Vibrio Cholera (Virus)
2. Gram Negative, comma-shaped rod
3. There are no spores and capsules
4. Vibrio Cholera has two antigens. Flagellar-H-antigen and Somatic-O-antigen.
5. V.Cholera has 3 fraction of toxins. Cholerogen-exotoxin plays important role in dehydration.
6. Cholerogen consists of 2 types of toxins. Cholerogen A and Cholerogen B
7. V.Cholera survive in low temperature.

Epidemiology :

1. Reservoir and source of infection is infected man.
2. Water is the main way of transmission of Cholera.
3. Infected man discharge about 10–20 liters of fluid with watery diarrhea with great content of vibrions.
4. Infection can happen by using of infected water for drinking and washing.

Clinical Features :

1. Incubation period if from several hours till 5 days.
2. Diarrhea is the first clinical feature of Cholera. It appears suddenly without pain often at night.
3. Stool is cloudy, white, fluid without smell & rice water like.

Diagnosis :

1. Bacteriological test by collecting 0.1–0.2 gms of stool.
2. We can find antibodies for cholera in the blood.

Treatment :

1. To re hydrate the body, Isotonic solutions such as Quartasault, threesault, lactasault are prescribed.
2. At first hour of treatment infuse Prednisilone .05 gm/kg per day.
3. In case of 3rd or 4th degree of dehydration, 70–120 ml/min of isotonic solution is infused through 2 or more system of transfusion.
4. For prevention of side effects of isotonic solutions, they must be preliminarily warmed upto 38–40° C.
5. In case of not compensated, Hypokalemia preparations of potassium is infused.