One barrier is the sole emphasis on biomedics in medical education. Other barriers include a lack of standard methodology to assess the success or failure of these interventions, a low compliance rate on the part of the patient because these interventions are time-intensive, and an unwillingness on the part of some insurance companies to provide reimbursement for certain treatments. Read the abstract for this article or go back to the top. The cases represent a marked increase from the 136 cases reported between 1965 and 1991. Most cases were acquired while people were traveling in countries where cholera is a significant problem.
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by a bacteria.
In severe, untreated cases, cholera can lead to rapid dehydration of more than a pint of fluid per hour. In extreme cases, death can result within hours. Infection is always acquired by swallowing food or water that has been contaminated with the bacteria. The researchers say that reported cases of cholera are probably only a fraction of the actual number of cases because as many as 80 to 90 percent of symptomatic cholera infections may cause only mild diarrhea, and many patients might not seek care. If a patient seeks medical care, the researchers say it is important that a stool sample is cultured on appropriate media.