How do you identify cholera?

Answer 1

Cholera comes in epidemic. Patients come with acute onset vomiting and profuse diarrhoea. There is no fever and pain in abdomen. Typically, there is 'rice water' stool. The diagnosis is confirmed by culture of vibrio cholerae bacteria from the stool sample. In your clinical practice you get isolated patients of watery diarrhoea without pain in abdomen and no fever. You make a diagnosis of cholera like syndrome. You give tablet furazolidone 100 mg stat, fallowed by two tablet three times a day. Many times the loose motion stops abruptly, with first dose only. This gives you the presumptive diagnosis of cholera in a given case. This is fairly common occurrence in your clinical practice.

Answer 2

There are a few different rapid tests used in the developing world for immediate diagnosis, including SMART which is very specific and reliable and is stored at room temperature.

Answer 3

Cholera is impossible to detect until you drink infected water