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Mynamethisisnot t1_j69f3kk wrote

Reply to comment by CrieDeCoeur in TIL cholera was reintroduced to Haiti after a century by UN peacekeepers responding to the 2010 earthquake. The resulting outbreak was the worst on record, killing 10,000 and infecting 820,000. by theworkinglad

If I drink enough water can one survive? Not only water but the electrolytes too

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CrieDeCoeur t1_j69oyvb wrote

Hydration + electrolyte therapy are, I think, pretty much the only things that will help. Cholera is a bacteria, not a virus, and can’t be treated with meds. So the idea is to keep a patient hydrated enough to ride out the infection (which lasts about a week) before it kills them. You wouldn’t be able to drink enough fluids fast enough to stay ahead of the violent diarrhea, so IV would be critical.

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18121812 t1_j6asvvg wrote

>Cholera is a bacteria, not a virus, and can’t be treated with meds.

Because cholera is a bacteria, that means it CAN be treated with antibiotics. It is generally not though, as if you get water and electrolytes, you generally get over it fairly quick. Antibiotics won't shorten the length much, and can cause side effects. Only severe cases get antibiotics.

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