Cholera

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Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.

Cholera was prevalent in the U.S. in the 1800s, before modern water and sewage treatment systems eliminated its spread by contaminated water. Only about 10 cases of cholera are reported each year in the U.S. and half of these are acquired abroad. Rarely, contaminated seafood has caused cholera outbreaks in the U.S. However, cholera outbreaks are still a serious problem in other parts of the world. At least 150,000 cases are reported to the World Health Organization each year.

Chlamydia trachomatis

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Chlamydia trachomatis (/kləˌmɪdiə/ /trəˈkoʊmətᵻs/), an organism responsible for the most prevalent STD in the United States, is one of four bacterial species in the genus Chlamydia. Chlamydia is a genus of pathogenic bacteria that are obligate intracellular parasites.C. trachomatis is a gram-negative bacterium. It is ovoid in shape and non-motile. The bacteria are non-spore-forming, but the elementary bodies act like spores when released into the host. The inclusion bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis were first described in 1942; theChlamydia trachomatis agent was first cultured in the yolk sacs of eggs by Professor Tang Fei-fan et al in 1957.

Chlamydia

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Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. This infection is easily spread because it often causes no symptoms and may be unknowingly passed to sexual partners. In fact, about 75% of infections in women and 50% in men are without symptoms.

How Do I Know if I Have Chlamydia?

It is not easy to tell if you are infected with chlamydia since symptoms are not always apparent. But when they do occur, they are usually noticeable within one to three weeks of contact and can include the following:

Chickenpox

Credit: wikipedia.org (Male with varicella disease)

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highlycontagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab over. It usually starts on the chest, back, and face then spreads to the rest of the body. Other symptoms may include fever, feeling tired, and headaches. Symptoms usually last five to ten days. Complications may occasionally include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, or bacterial infections of the skin among others. The disease is often more severe in adults than children. Symptoms begin ten to twenty one days after exposure to the virus.

Cherubism

A 37-year-old woman exhibiting symptoms of mild cherubism (Credit: wikipedia.org)

Cherubism is a rare genetic disorder that causes prominence in the lower portion in the face. The name is derived from the temporary chubby-cheeked resemblance to putti, often confused with cherubs, in Renaissance paintings.

History

"Cherubism" was first coined and documented in 1933 by Dr. W. A. Jones of Kingston, Ontario, describing a case of three siblings of the same family of Jewish Russian heritage. All that was known at the time was the characteristic swelling pattern and the increase and then regress of bone lesions. By the time the children reached the ages of fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen, the facial deformity had become "grotesque", and in 1943, the children were operated on by the Jones medical team, reducing the hard swelling of their jaws. Four years following the surgeries, there was no reappearance of the swellings.

Chancroid

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Chancroid is a bacterial infection that is spread through sexual contact.

Causes

Chancroid is caused by a bacteria called Haemophilus ducreyi.

The infection is found in many parts of the world, such as Africa and southwest Asia. Very few people are diagnosed in the United States each year with this infection. Most people in the United States who are diagnosed with chancroid have traveled outside the country to areas where the infection is more common.

Chalazion

Credit: wikipedia.org (Eyelid affected by Chalazion)

A chalazion (/kəˈleɪziən/; plural chalazia /kəˈleɪziə/), also known as a meibomian gland lipogranuloma, is a cyst in the eyelid that is caused by inflammation of a blocked meibomian gland, usually on the upper eyelid. Chalazia differ from styes (hordeola) in that they are subacute and usually painless nodules. They may become acutely inflamed, but unlike a stye, chalazia usually sit inside the lid rather than on the lid margin.

Signs and symptoms

• Swelling on the eyelid
• Eyelid tenderness
• Sensitivity to light
• Increased tearing
• Heaviness of the eyelid

A chalazion or meibomian cyst can sometimes be mistaken for a stye.