Compared to typhus, another infectious disease, cholera does not have as high a death toll, but it kills more quickly and horridly. If untreated, victims usually die in days, but sometimes in just two to three hours due to loss of salts and fluid from excessive diarrhea and vomiting. Cholera can be treated by replacing lost fluids and administering isotonic maintenance solution and glucose. Drinking fruit juice or eating salt crackers can help restore fluid balance. Antibiotics such as doxycycline or tetracycline can decrease the length of the illness and amount of fluid lost.
Cholera can affect anyone who has ingested contaminated food or water linked with the infection.
It continues to be a serious threat worldwide. See Cholera in the News . Avoid eating food or using water that may have been contaminated with the infection. Credit John Snow for linking the spread of cholera with water. He mapped local outbreaks to polluted wells, concluding that cholera stemmed from something germ like in the water and was spread from person to person.