Cholera

Cholera (also called Asiatic cholera) is an infectious disease, caused by bacteria that are typically ingested by drinking water that is contaminated by improper sanitation, or by eating improperly cooked fish, especially shellfish. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. Death is generally due to the dehydration caused by the illness. When cholera is left untreated, it generally has a high death rate. Treatment is typically an aggressive rehydration treatment. With treatment, death rates plummet. Cholera was first described in a scientific manner by the physician Garcia de Orta in the 16th century.

External links:

• Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders Cholera link to Cholera pages
• Posen-L:consise description, extended history of epidemics, with timeline
• Study on the relationship between blood type and cholera susceptibility (Medline)
• Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology: Cholera
• What is Cholera? (CDC)