Cholera is an illness that result from a germ attacking the bowels. The disease is usually water borne and is spread by contaminated water. The foremost symptom of cholera is watery diarrhea that leads the depletion of fluids in one's body and causes death from dehydration.

Cholera is rampant in Asia and Africa, and occurs at regular intervals. Cholera is a form of acute diarrheal disease and grows from the intestine being infected with the bacterium vibrio cholera. Symptoms of cholera include tachycardia, loss of skin turgor, dry mucous membranes, low blood pressure and acute thirst.

The additional symptoms of cholera are reflected in muscle cramps and electrolyte imbalances. A person may be affected by cholera when he / she drinks water or eats food that carries the cholera bacterium infection. The cholera bacterium also has the capacity to survive in the environment, that is, in river waters and sea waters.

The threat of the cholera epidemic is most acute when situations of poverty, war and natural disasters compel people to survive in crowded and unhygienic situations. People who are suffering from malnutrition are more susceptible to becoming infected with cholera. Adequate rehydration is the core of cholera therapy. Antibiotics act as an added source of therapy, which help reduce fluid requirements and even the duration of illness.

Cholera can be treated successfully and without undergoing much trouble by quickly substituting the fluid and salts that were lost as a result diarrhea. Tetracycline is the most commonly administered antibiotic during cholera, but, a lot of resistance to the use of tetracycline has been recently emerging.  Other antibiotics that are really effective for curing cholera, include, cotrimoxazole, erythromycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol and furazolidone.

The antibiotic tetracycline may be administered upon adults suffering from cholera in order to to lessen the duration of the illness and put a cap on fluid loss. We all agree with the saying, 'prevention is better than cure'. Keeping up with the same, it is essential to maintain cleanliness as it is the most efficient method to prevent and control such outbreaks.

It is an absolute must not to eat raw or indelicately cooked fish and seafood of any kind. Another good idea would be to avoid ice cream, which is frequently befouled and also avoid drinking unpasteurized milk.

There are a number of precautions that you can take to prevent yourself from being affected by cholera. You must only eat that food which is healthily prepared. Don't eat unwashed or uncooked vegetables such as green salads outside as they may have been washed in tainted water. Wash your hands throughly after using the toilet and do that even more vigorously before handling food or drinking water.