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There is a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean Health Minister, David Parirenyatwa, has, in fact, declared Zimbabwe’s present cholera epidemic a national emergency. It is reported that more than 500 lives have already been lost to the illness; but exactly what is cholera?

According to the CDC, Cholera is an illness characterized by acute diarrhea. It is caused by an intestinal infection which develops from invasion of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The infection itself is said to be often mild or even asymptomatic; but it can sometimes be severe. An individual with a severe case of cholera suffers with “profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps”. Such a person loses body fluids rapidly, becomes dehydrated and goes into shock. If not treated immediately the individual can die within hours of going into shock.

How do you catch the disease?

You can get cholera if you drink water or eat food that is contaminated with the cholera bacterium.

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