An Overview of the Cure for Cholera
The best cure for
cholera is preventing it in the first place. If a person does develop cholera, the best cure is early treatment.
Cure for Cholera: Prevention
Because of advanced water and sanitation systems, cholera is not a major threat in the United States; however, as a result of improved transportation, more people from the United States are traveling to parts of Africa, Asia, or Latin America, where epidemic cholera is occurring. For these people, prevention of cholera involves avoiding contaminated food and water.
Travelers who follow the usual tourist itineraries and observe food safety recommendations while traveling in countries reporting cholera have virtually no risk. Risk increases for those who drink untreated water, or eat poorly cooked or raw seafood, in disease-endemic (prevalent) areas.
Cure for Cholera: Early Treatment
- Fluid replacement
- Antibiotics (medicine that can kill the bacteria).
Cholera can typically be simply and successfully treated by immediate replacement of the fluid and salts that are lost through
diarrhea. Fluid replacement treatment for cholera usually involves an oral rehydration solution, which is a prepackaged mixture of sugar and salts, to be mixed with water and drunk in large amounts. This solution is used throughout the world to treat diarrhea. Treatment for severe cases of cholera also requires intravenous (IV) fluid replacement.
If treatments for cholera are started in a timely manner and in adequate volumes, a cholera cure is possible in greater than 99 percent of cases. Without proper treatment for cholera, a cure for can be expected in about one half of the cases.
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