title: [Cholera--once and nowadays].
abstract: METHODS
  Cholera is an acute intestinal infection which raged in India in the nineteenth century and it broke out in six great pandemics out in Europe.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Cholera is caused by bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which produce an enterotoxin causing massive diarrhoea. There are two biotypes--classic and El Tor.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The source of Vibrio cholerae is a man. Cholera is a typical faecally-oral infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ingested by contaminated water and food, Vibrio cholerae comes to the intestinal wall. The tightness is intermediated with toxin-coregulated pilus. There it produces enterotoxin and activates adenilate cyclase which accumulate intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The result is isotonic watery diarrhoea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cholera can occur as asymptomatic infection, then enteritis and deathly classic cholera. Patients suffer from explosive, unremitting, watery diarrhoea (known as "rice water"). DIAGNOSIS AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: The diagnosis is based on clinical features, epidemiological data and laboratory diagnostic methods. The most important is to isolate Vibrion cholerae from the stool.
  
  
  METHODS
  The most important treatment for cholera is fluid containing minerals. The best antibiotics available are tetracycline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The best preventive measures are water supply, sanitation, food safety and community awareness. The importance of vaccines comes second. CHOLERA NOWADAYS: Cholera has been known since ancient times, but it is present even nowadays. It has been developed as a biological weapon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cholera is a dreadful intestinal disease with severe clinical features. One thing is known for certain: hygienic and sanitary measures are the main prevention.
authors: Infektivno odeljenje, Zdravstveni centar Studenica, Kraljevo. annaa77@ptt.rs
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Antić
authors: Predrag
authors: P
authors: Canović
mesh_terms: D002771:Cholera / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans