Vibrio cholerae O1 is the aetiological agent of the severe diarrhoeal disease cholera. Annually, there are an estimated 1-4 million cholera cases worldwide and over 140 000 deaths. The primary mode of disease transmission is through the consumption of water or food contaminated with the bacterium. Although cholera patients can be treated effectively using rehydration therapy, the disease remains a major scourge in areas with limited access to clean water and proper sanitation. Its continued prevalence highlights the failure of socioeconomic policies leading to wealth disparities, fragile and dated public infrastructure, and lack of appropriate health surveillance.
Keywords: CTX toxin; classical and El Tor; pandemics; pathogenicity islands; rice water diarrhoea; virulence factors.