Cholera and Its Implications for the Modern World

Travelers Beware! Do not drink the local water or milk. Cook all foods that may
have been exposed to water. Do not eat uncooked salads, fresh fruit, or shellfish. Why are
so many travelers to third world countries getting these warnings? The answer is simple,
due to the infectious bacterial disease known as Cholera.
Cholera is caused when the bacterium Vibrio cholerae infects the small intestine. A
more precise name for the region infected is the gastrointestinal area. The bacterium itself
is small, and comma-shaped (see appendix p.7 ). …