How can cholera be stopped at a molecular level

Haiti had been cholera-free for years before the devastating earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince in January The cholera epidemic began 10 months after the quake, with the bacterium possibly brought in by a Nepali peacekeeper. The outbreak has so far killed 7, and sickened , in Haiti, with 20, more cases in the nearby Dominican Republic. Cholera, which is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae , has been plaguing humans for millennia, with likely descriptions of it as far back as A.

Though a rarity in the developed world, cholera remains a scourge in developing nations. It infects an estimated 3 million to 5 million annually and kills ,, according to the U.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cholera, which causes vomiting and massive diarrhea, is easily treatable by modern medical science, but still deadly in places far removed from health care. In addition, cholera appears to be getting more deadly, Mekalanos said. A new strain appeared in the s and has slowly spread around the world. After You Submit an Application.

Manage Your Award. Funding News. NIAID supports university-based and pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers who are working to develop new cholera treatments and vaccines to prevent infection. Vaccination is an important way to protect vulnerable populations from cholera. Vaccines are usually evaluated in field studies by comparing the incidence of disease in this case, cholera in a vaccinated population to an unvaccinated placebo control population. An important re-analysis of a large study involving a vaccine containing inactivated cholera found that the incidence of cholera among the placebo recipients varied inversely with the level of vaccination in the community.

The conclusion drawn was that vaccination reduced the amount of cholera in the environment, and therefore, the risk of infection to everyone in the community. In the case of cholera, one epidemiological model in Bangladesh showed that because of community immunity, a vaccine containing inactivated cholera conferring relatively short-lived immunity could eliminate cholera entirely if 70 percent of the population was vaccinated.

A second candidate, CVDHgR, was licensed in Europe, but is not currently in production or slated for use in cholera-endemic regions. With proper treatment, even severely ill patients can be saved. Rehydration therapy , the primary treatment for cholera patients, refers to the prompt restoration of lost fluids and salts.

Antibiotic treatment reduces fluid requirements and duration of illness, and is indicated for severe cases of cholera. Zinc treatment has also been shown to help improve cholera symptoms in children. See the following videos for more information: Defeating Cholera and Managing Dehydration. Note: These videos may contain outdated CDC branding and agency names because they were produced in the s. However, the cholera-related information might still be relevant for cholera treatment or dealing with cholera outbreaks.

Please consult the current CDC Cholera page for current cholera treatment recommendations.