The disease is worldwide. Unfortunately, some of them could continue to be a problem for decades or even centuries. Cholera is a disease that continues to disrupt certain regions of the world. Cholera causes death from diarrhea (Symington, 2011). It is a potentially serious illness that affects the digestive system, causing extreme dehydration which can lead to death within hours (Symington, 2011). The culprit responsible for this particular scourge is the bacteria Vibrios cholerae (Kraft, 2010). The symptoms of cholera date back to ancient Greek times and Sanskrit writings (Pukatzki & Provenzano, 2013). Between 1817 and 1961, seven pandemic outbreaks killed millions of people (Cable News Network, 2013). In the mid-1800s, physician John Snow challenged the widely held belief that the cause of cholera was the inhalation of "bad air", also known as miasma (Symington, 2011). He suggested that the cause was actually due to the ingestion of a toxic substance and he proved this theory in 1854 when he discovered that water from a pump contained disease-causing particles that started the epidemic of cholera in London (Symington, 2011). When the water pump was removed, cases of cholera in London decreased significantly (Symington, 2011). Snow, however, never established the bacterial source of cholera; he simply identified London's mode of transmission which in itself played a significant role (Symington, 2011). It was Robert Koch who is credited with discovering the bacteria in 1882 and, due to his past scientific work and discoveries, his observations of V. cholera were widely accepted even though the first descriptions of the bacteria were made by the Italian anatomist Fillipo Pacini almost thirty years ago. front...... middle of paper ......d carefully and eat it hot, peel fruits and vegetables, do not defecate in bodies of water, and clean safely (Center for Disease Control, nd). When traveling to countries where cholera is present, extreme caution should be taken regarding food, drink and hygiene (Symington, 2011). Although rare in the United States, more than 90 percent of cases in the United States are due to foreign travel (Todar, n.d.). There are essential ways to control cholera, but most are obviously not feasible in underdeveloped parts of the world (Finkelstein, 1996). ). Time will tell whether the use of vaccines stockpiled by the WHO will work in Sudan and, in turn, benefit the world. Is V. cholera the real culprit? There is the problem of the role played by man and nature in cholera. Let's eliminate wars, conflicts and natural disasters, and then we will have a better chance of eliminating this disease..