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.

History

Origin

Cholera originated in India or elsewhere in Asia, with the Ganges River likely serving as a contamination reservoir.

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Discovery

The scientists with major contributions to fighting cholera were John Snow, who found the link between cholera and drinking water in 1854, and Robert Koch, who identified Vibrio cholerae as the bacillus causing the disease. The bacterium was originally isolated thirty years earlier by Italian anatomist Filippo Pacini, but his results were not widely known.

Related Topics:
John Snow - 1854 - Robert Koch - Vibrio cholerae - Filippo Pacini

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Spread

Cholera was originally endemic in India, but spread by trade routes (land and sea) to Russia, then to Western Europe, and from Europe to North America. Major cholera epidemics struck the United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866. (The 1849 outbreak took the life of former U.S. President James K. Polk.) Cholera is now no longer considered an issue in Europe and North America, due to filtering and chlorination of the water supply.

Related Topics:
1832 - 1849 - 1866 - U.S. President - James K. Polk

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