Diarrhea
Medications
Related eMedTV
Health Channels

Cholera Causes

Cholera causes are bacteria called either Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1, or Vibrio cholerae Serogroup non-O1. In most cases, Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1 is the cause of cholera. Cholera is usually transmitted by eating food or drinking water that is contaminated with either bacteria. In the United States, most Vibrio cholerae infections have occurred in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, from contaminated shellfish.

 

An Overview of Cholera Causes

The cholera causes are Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
 

Cholera Causes: Vibrio Cholerae

There are two general types of Vibrio cholerae:
 
  • Vibrio cholerae Serogroup non-O1
  • Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1.
     
Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1 is the type of Vibrio cholerae that are most often the cause of cholera. The other cholera causes are Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O139, a Vibrio cholerae Serogroup non-O1.
 
Vibrio cholerae is native to the Ganges delta, which is in India and extends into Bangladesh. Since 1995, over 80 percent of reported cases of Vibrio cholerae infections have occurred in Africa.
 
Vibrio cholerae infections have been very rare in industrialized nations for the last 100 years. For example, in the United States, there are zero to five cases per year. In the United States, most Vibrio cholerae infections have occurred in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, from contaminated shellfish.
 
(Cholera Causes Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD