Studies on vibrio cholerae
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1966Author
Latif, M.A.
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Abstract
Cholera in one of the most in ortant health problems of rnny
area© of Asia. Despite extensive research, workers are still
confronted with a number of unsolved problems that etand in the
my of control and ultimate eradication of the disease. The
ir mediate problems pre! entod by cholera at thin time are related
to It© treatment and its practical cor.ti*ol.
The clinical and biochemical abnormalities that occur in the
cholera patient can bo rapidly and consistently corrected by
intravenous administration of fluids approximately equal in volume
and electrolyte concentration to the fluids lost via the
gastrointestinal route. Although treatment by rehydration in
good, specific treatment must wait until we know more regarding
the mechanism of pathogenicity In cholera. Alternatively, it
may be that phage therapy still is worthy of consideration but
this is doubtful.
The control of cholera depends on several factors.
(i) Improvement of {sanitation, provision of safe water,
satisfactory disposal of excreta and health education of
the public to improve perso al hygiene nro essentials.
(ii) Further investigation of the epidemiology of cholera
and cholera like diseases will asait control. This demands
more research into cholera plages and genetic mechanisms
so that epidemics can be traced and understood.
(iii) Finally, active immunization nay achieve control of
cholera, but we meanwhile require more knowledge of mechanisms of pathogenicity so that good protective antigens nay be
prepared.
The writer has therefore investigated the 2 obviously
important aspects of
(A) The toxins of cholera
(B) The phage, and genetics related to cholera.
These studies are reported in Sections I and II of this
thesis respectively.