Cholera

Cholera used to be extremely common when settlers came to America, but now it isn't.

1) How does the doll surgeon operate?
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Usually when someone has cholera, they will not have a high fever.

2) What disease does a dog get in its joints?
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Cholera is a bacterial infection that has an effect on the intestines. It happens when a germ called Vibrio cholerae gets into your body. Even though a few cases of cholera are recognized in the U.S.A. every year, outbreak levels of cholera have lately been reported in parts of Central and South America.

While cholera doesn’t appear often in the United States, those who may be in danger include people traveling to distant countries where outbreaks occur more often. People who eat raw or undercooked seafood from warm coastal waters could get cholera because of sewage pollution that is in the water. Some of the pollution is human and animal waste, and some is garbage. fever

Vibrio cholerae is passed in waste. Eating food or drinking water that is polluted by the waste of an infected person spreads it. This happens more often in 3rd world countries where they don't have enough money to pay for water treatment.

People who are unprotected against cholera might experience mild to severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. Fever usually doesn’t happen. These symptoms may appear from about three hours to five days after exposure.

Because of the quick dehydration that might happen because of severe diarrhea or throwing up, it is extremely important for the patient to get fluids back into his/her body by mouth or by putting fluid in through the veins. Medicines, such as tetracycline, are also used to get rid of diarrhea swifter than usual.

A vaccine is always available and sometimes it is recommended for travelers who are going to certain foreign countries where cholera is occurring. However, the vaccine only gives 50% protection for a short time period (about two to six months). Some physicians think that foreign travelers almost never spread cholera and that use of the current vaccine can’t be defended.

The most important defensive plan is to try not to eat or drink uncooked foods or water in foreign countries where cholera occurs unless they’re checked and approved to be safe or have been properly treated.

Credits

Web Sites

New York State Communicable Disease, “Cholera.” http://www.health.state.my.us/nysdoh/communicable_diseases/en.cholera.htm (October, 2003).

Images

Images of boy and thermometer from "Microsoft Office Online" <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?cag=1> Images free for non-profit and personal use. (October-February, 2003-2004).

Book

Bernstein, Joanne E. and Paul Cohen. Dizzy Doctor Riddles. Niles, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company. 1989.

Joke Answers

1) It operates on batteries. Return
2) Arf-ritis. Return