Although signs and symptoms of severe cholera can be unmistakable in areas where it's common, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is to identify the bacteria in a stool sample.
Rapid cholera dipstick tests enable doctors in remote areas to quickly confirm a cholera diagnosis. Quick confirmation helps to decrease death rates at the start of cholera outbreaks and leads to earlier public health interventions for outbreak control.
Treatment:
Cholera requires immediate treatment because the disease can cause death within hours.
• Rehydration: The goal is to replace lost fluids and electrolytes using a simple rehydration solution, oral rehydration salts (ORS). The ORS solution is available as a powder that can be made with boiled or bottled water.
Without rehydration, approximately half the people with cholera die. With treatment, fatalities drop to less than 1%.
• Intravenous fluids: Most people with cholera can be helped by oral rehydration alone, but severely dehydrated people might also need intravenous fluids.
• Antibiotics: While not a necessary part of cholera treatment, some antibiotics can reduce cholera-related diarrhea and shorten how long it lasts in severely ill people.
• Zinc supplements: Research has shown that zinc might decrease diarrhea and shorten how long it lasts in children with cholera.
Courtesy: Mayo Clinic
