ABSTRACT
Cholera has usually infected impoverished people who live in unsanitary conditions. The original description of the etiological agent of cholera is attributed to Pacini in 1854, but many bacteriologists remained skeptical of his findings because similar but harmless vibrios could be isolated from diverse environments. The pandemic cholera that is clinically recognized today emerged in India around 1817. Prior to 1970 in the United States, cholera was not well known—a few cases occurred at the turn of the century and the last identified outbreak was recorded in 1911. In areas where there are only sporadic cases of cholera, there may be environmental reservoirs that need to be monitored. However, the presence of Vibrio cholera in US coastal estuaries has brought about an increased awareness by public health officials and has focused investigations into the food history of a patient to see if seafood was involved.
