Studies on vibrio cholerae

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.