Increase in Cases and Deaths by Cholera

What is Cholera?

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that is spread by contaminated food or water by Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) more frequently seen in Africa and Southeast Asia. Cholera needs to be treated immediately upon the start of the symptoms, or else it can develop into severe dehydration and even death within hours. The start of the symptoms is usually 12 hours to 5 days after the infection.

Diagnosis of cholera is performed by laboratory tests like culture or Real-Time PCR from stool samples. Rapid access to treatment is essential during cholera outbreaks, since with early and proper treatment, the case fatality rate remains below 1%. However, diagnosis can be tricky since the cholera symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration) can also be present in other gastrointestinal infections. Real-time PCR Kits like Bosphore Gastroenteritis Panel Kit v4 can detect 24 gastrointestinal pathogens including V. cholerae therefore enabling prompt start of treatment.