Vibrio cholerae is found primarily in raw vegetation, water containing sewage, and raw seafood. Standing water and certain types of food, including seafood, raw fruits and vegetables, and grains, are the most common sources of cholera infection. When a person consumes contaminated food or water, the bacterium Vibrio cholerae releases an enterotoxin that draws water and electrolytes from the body and pushes them into the intestinal lumen, producing severe diarrhea. Subsequently, the infected person loses a large amount of fluids which contributes to the dehydration of cholera patients (Mayo clinic, 2017). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Despite being infected with Vibrio cholerae; many people show no symptoms but are still carriers. These carriers excrete the Vibrio cholerae bacterium after seven to fourteen days, thus contaminating water supplies. Those who show symptoms of cholera mostly have mild to moderate diarrhea, making it difficult to distinguish it from other illnesses. However, 10% of cholera patients suffer from severe symptoms. One method of treating cholera is rehydration. The goal is to replace lost fluids and electrolytes using a simple rehydration regiment, oral rehydration salts (ORS). ORS Regiment is accessible in the form of a powder that can be reconstituted in boiled or filtered water. Without rehydration, most cholera patients would die. One of the treatments for cholera is rehydration. The number of deaths will be reduced to less than 1% if patients are given the correct amount of oral rehydration salts and, if necessary, intravenous fluids and electrolytes. Low osmolarity oral rehydration treatment and oat-based oral rehydration treatment are the most effective methods of administering fluid replacement for general patients (Hahn, Kim, & Garner, 2001). Another method of treating cholera is through the use of antibiotics. Although antibiotics are not the most important part of cholera treatment, some forms of drugs can reduce the damage caused by cholera and reduce diarrhea. In conjunction with rehydration treatments, antibiotics are recommended for seriously ill patients. This is because some patients lose large amounts of water due to diarrhea during rehydration treatment, and by preventing further episodes of diarrhea, water loss will be reduced. 500 g of doxycycline is prescribed as first-line treatment for adults in most countries (DE et al., 1976), while azithromycin is administered as first-line treatment for children and pregnant women (Bhattacharya et al. , 2003). : This is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Antibiotic sensitivity should be regularly checked by testing isolated samples from different geographic regions, during an outbreak or epidemic. The guidelines do not recommend antibiotics as prophylaxis for the prevention of cholera and all emphasize that antibiotics should be used in combination with robust rehydration treatment. The use of zinc supplements is another form of therapeutic treatment. Research has shown that zinc can reduce the occurrence of diarrhea in children with cholera. This was demonstrated by a study conducted in Bangladesh (Roy et al., 2008). The study focused on 179 children, all between the ages of 3 and 14, who were admitted to hospitals and clinics within 24 hours of experiencing cholera symptoms. All the.
tags