Cholera is an extremely severe and often fatal disease seen in the tropics. It is caused by a bacillus called the Vibrio comma. Infection is spread through contamination of water in particular and also of food. The disease occurs is large epidemics and the main features are intense diarrhea with watery stools containing shreds of mucous embrace from the intestinal wall-the typical “rice-water” stools of cholera.

It also causes rapid dehydration resulting in loss of fluids in the body; eyes become sunken; skin pinched and dry; severe cramps arise in the muscles due to loss of salt and dehydration.

Guard against dehydration and work for rehydration by giving salt-sugar solution, lots of clear water, fluids, juices, if need be even intravenously. Streptomycin is an effective drug for the treatment of cholera.