What disease is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae?

Vibrio cholerae causes cholera, an intestinal infection that can produce severe, rapidly dehydrating diarrhea. The bacterium is usually transmitted through food or drinking water contaminated with human waste, especially where sanitation and clean-water systems are limited.

V. cholerae causes disease mainly through cholera toxin, which disrupts ion transport in intestinal cells and causes large amounts of water and salts to leave the body. Untreated cases can become fatal within hours, but prompt oral rehydration is highly effective; severe cases may also require intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

A common mix-up is confusing cholera with dysentery or typhoid. Dysentery typically involves inflammatory diarrhea, while typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi. Cholera is also not the same as every illness caused by Vibrio bacteria: related species can cause wound or seafood-associated infections. The modern name reflects the bacterium’s association with the disease, and the species name comes from the Greek word for gall.