Vibrio Cholerae Bacteria: An Introduction
Vibrio cholerae bacteria can cause
cholera, which is an acute, diarrheal illness that can result in severe dehydration and even death within a matter of hours.
Vibrio cholerae bacteria are gram-negative rods
(see Pictures of Cholera) that are facultatively anaerobic. That means they can survive either with or without oxygen.
Types of Vibrio Cholerae Bacteria
There are two types of Vibrio cholerae bacteria:
- Vibrio cholerae Serogroup non-O1
- Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1.
Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1 is the type of
Vibrio cholerae bacterium that is typically the
cause of cholera. The other cause of cholera is
Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O139, a
Vibrio cholerae serogroup non-O1 bacterium. There are about 70 other species of
Vibrio cholerae Serogroup non-O1; these other species rarely cause
diarrhea.
Transmission of Vibrio Cholerae Bacteria
A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the Vibrio cholerae bacteria. During an epidemic, the source of Vibrio cholerae bacteria contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of drinking water and sewage.
It is also possible for Vibrio cholerae bacteria to live in the environment in brackish (saltwater) rivers and coastal waters. Shellfish, when eaten raw, have been a source of Vibrio cholerae bacteria, and a few people in the United States have contracted cholera after eating raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico.
It is unlikely for Vibrio cholerae bacteria to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk for becoming ill.
Once
Vibrio cholerae bacteria are ingested, the bacteria travel to the small intestine where they begin to multiply.
Vibrio cholerae bacteria then begin to produce their toxin, which is the main cause of the characteristic
cholera symptom: watery diarrhea.
A person needs to ingest a lot of
Vibrio cholerae bacteria in order to develop
symptoms of cholera. When the acids in the stomach are neutralized (following a meal or after taking
antacids), the amount of
Vibrio cholerae bacteria needed to produce symptoms is decreased.
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