Cholera & ORS

Question 1

What is cholera?

Answer 1

Cholera is a disease cause by the cholera bacterium ( vibrio cholerae), a prokaryotic organism. The bacteria infects the small intestine by producing a toxin that affects osmosis in the intestinal cells.

Question 2

What are the effects/symptoms of cholera infection.

Answer 2

Watery diarrhoea and vomiting are the main two.

Question 3

What causes cholera and how does it cause diarrhoea?

Answer 3

Cholera is caused by a bacteria that produces a toxin in the epithelial wall. This protein toxin causes chloride ions to flood into the lumen changing the water potential.