The cholera is a Toxi-infection enteric epidemic contagious due to Vibrio cholerae , or bacillus comma, discovered by Pacini in 1854 and redécouvert by Koch in 1883, and characterized by banal or cataclysmic Diarrhée S. The traditional major form is fatal in more half of the cases, in the absence of treatment (of a few hours to three days). The contamination is oral, of fecal origin, by the drink water or of soiled food.

The cholera was the first pestilential Maladie to be the object, as of the 19th century, of an international monitoring.

In France, one counts some cases of cholera each year; in the majority of the cases, the disease was contracted abroad, one counted five cases of indigenous cholera between 1970 and 1996.

Principal epidemics

The first historical description by an European is made in 1503 by an officer of Vasco de Gama, which describes quickly a epidemic cataclysmic Diarrhée S mortals (in 8 hours) and causing 20  000 died with Calicut (India).

Limited initially to the Asia (India, China and Indonesia), the epidemics develop at the 19th century into true Pandémie S which reach the the Middle East, the Europe and the America S.

Seven pandemias are listed:

  • the 1st pandemia (1817-1824): left Asia it touches the Eastern Africa and as from 1823 the minor Asia and in the tread, the Russia, and the Europe.
  • 2 {{E}} pandemia (1826-1841): the epidemic is propagated starting from Mecque towards the Egypt then Europe.
  • the 3rd pandemia (1846-1861): the epidemic left China touches the the Maghreb (in particular the Algérie) then Europe.
  • the 4th pandemia (1863-1876): it touches Northern Europe, the Belgium in 1866, then the France, the North Africa and the South America.
  • the 5th pandemia (1883-1896): the diffuse epidemic starting from India towards the east and the west on several continents.
  • the 6th pandemia (1899-1923): starting from Asia, the epidemic is spread in Russia and from there in Central and Western Europe.
  • the 7th pandemia (since 1961): the 7th pandemia, part of the Indonesia in 1961, invades Asia (1962), then the the Middle East and part of Europe (1965), and extends then in 1970 in the African continent, and 1991 with the Latin America. It is in Africa, where the cholera prevails from now on in an endemic way , which the situation is most alarming today.

Prevention against the cholera

There exists a Vaccin whose effectiveness is far from being absolute and who is not obligatory in any country. It protects only approximately half of the vaccinated subjects, and its effectiveness is six months to one year. This vaccine is marketed in France, mainly for the travellers.

In the endemic zones, the prevention of the cholera consists primarily of measurements of Hygiène, and in particular to prevent the crossing of the food chain with the chain of the excrements.

On the personal level, it is advisable to wash the hands carefully and to avoid the collective towel. It is necessary to clean and disinfect all that was with the contact with fecal Matière (NB: of patient or nonpatient, there exist indeed healthy carriers).

With regard to food, it is advisable to use a healthy water for hygiene, drink and the washing of food: if the country does not lay out of a network of drainage of worn water and of Water treatment, to use water delivered in an encapsulated bottle (which will be loosened in front of oneself) or failing this a water pulp or chlorinated. It is necessary to be wary of the “hidden” sources of contaminated water: fruit and vegetables being able to be washed with soiled water (they should be peeled), Glaçon S, ice creams and Sorbet S. It are necessary to avoid the seafood.

With regard to collective measurements, it is necessary to eliminate the flies, vectors of vibrios, and to organize the elimination of the saddles so that those do not cross the food chain.

Diagnosis and therapy

In the benign cases, the cholera appears by a Entérite, which is in general not diagnosed as being the cholera. It appears in an acute way by Vomissement S as well as Diarrhée S liquids abundant and frequent (50 to 100 per day), which involves a Déshydratation as well as a rock salt loss and an increase in the Acidité of the Sang. The saddles are colorless and odorless (rice water aspect “”). In the serious cases, this metabolic modification can involve death in one day or two.

The exact diagnosis is done by culture of germs starting from saddles.

The treatment consists primarily of a rehydration, which maintains the patient in life time that he cures spontaneously in a few days. The rehydration is associated if possible with Antibiotique S.

Cholera and… cholera

The “Choléra of the hens” (and the poultries) is with a germ of the kind Pasteurella , named thus later on in homage to Louis Pasteur, and not to the germ Vibrio cholerae which is responsible for the traditional cholera

See too

External bonds

  • Institute Pasteur Paris/Cholera
  • Course of medical bacteriology
  • Institute of tropical medicine (Belgium): The Councils with the travellers (file pdf)
  • the cholera with Mayotte, 2001
  • Cholera epidemic in Senegal - Not at June 23rd * French ministry of Health: cholera
  • Encyclopedia Agora: Cholera
  • '' the Cholera-Morbus in Paris '', (1832) by Anaïs Bazin (1797-1850).

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