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Cholera

Cholera is a water-born disease caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. Drinking contaminated water or eating badly perpared fish, especially shellfish, is the most common way of getting this disease. In Europe there was several epidemics in the 19th century, but now only developing countries with unsanitary water is being affected.

People who have different blood types seem to be affected differently by the disease. People with type O blood are the most common to get it, those with type AB are most immune, and between the A and B types, A being more immune than B. Also the CFTR gene channel prevents the bacteria from making you ill. About one million cholerae bacteria must be ingested to cause cholera.

Cholerae nautrally occurs in plankton that live in fresh, brackish, and salt water. Cholera is transmitted through ingestion of the feces contaminated by the bacteria. This usually occurs when untreated sewage is released to waterways or groundwater. This would affect the food supply, any foods washed in the water, and shellfish living in the affected water. It is rarely spread person to person. If a person does have the bacteria in their body than it is most likely spread by diarrhea in which unsanitary areas you could possibly become in contact with.

Vibro cholerae does not survive the acidic conditions of the stomach. The very few bacteria that do manage to survive conserve their energy and stored nutrients during the passage through the stomach by shutting down protein production. Once out of the stomach they would reach the small intestine. When in the small intestine they have to propel themselves through the thick mucus that lines the small intestine. In order to propel themselves they must start the production of the hollow cylindrical protein flagellin to make flagella. Once that is over then they can reach the intestine wall. When in the wall they stop producing the hollow...