Vibrio cholerae
Introduction: Vibrio cholerae is a highly motile, comma shaped, gram-negative
bacteria with a single, polar flagellum for movement. The active movement of
vibrio cholerae inspired the genus name because “vibrio” in Latin means “to
quiver”. V. cholerae was first described by Felix -Archimede Pouchet in 1849 as
some kind of protozoa. Filippo Pacini correctly identified it as a bacterium in Italy
in 1854. V. cholerae was first isolated in pure culture by Robert Koch in 1884.
Italians at that time believed that diseases like cholera came from "bad air" or the
Greek term “miasma." John Snow, a doctor known as the father of epidemiology,
did a study during the London cholera epidemic of 1854 from which he concluded
that cholera was not passed by bad air but by contaminated water, and discovered
that a well that provided water to the public was collecting the leaching’s of a
bacteria laden cesspit. Snow had the handle removed from a water pump that was
found to be the neighborhood's source of the contaminated water, and immediately
the epidemic began to subside.
Scientific Classification:
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Gammaproteobacteria
Order: Vibrionales
Family: Vibrionaceae
Genus: Vibrio
Species: Vibrio cholerae
Morphology and Characteristics of Vibrio Cholerae
∙ Gram- negative rods
∙ Curved and comma shaped
∙ Highly motile; single polar flagella
, ∙ Sheathed, polar flagellum
∙ Non-spore forming
∙ Associated with salt water
∙ Oxidase positive
∙ Facultative anaerobe
∙ 1.4-2.6µm length and .5-.8 µm width
∙ Tolerate alkaline conditions to pH 9
∙ Produces cholera toxin
Figure: Vibrio Cholerae
Structural Characteristics of Vibrio cholerae
∙ Cell Wall
∙ Cell Membrane
∙ Cytoplasm
∙ Flagellum
∙ Ribosomes
∙ DNA
Figure: Vibrio cholerae
Introduction: Vibrio cholerae is a highly motile, comma shaped, gram-negative
bacteria with a single, polar flagellum for movement. The active movement of
vibrio cholerae inspired the genus name because “vibrio” in Latin means “to
quiver”. V. cholerae was first described by Felix -Archimede Pouchet in 1849 as
some kind of protozoa. Filippo Pacini correctly identified it as a bacterium in Italy
in 1854. V. cholerae was first isolated in pure culture by Robert Koch in 1884.
Italians at that time believed that diseases like cholera came from "bad air" or the
Greek term “miasma." John Snow, a doctor known as the father of epidemiology,
did a study during the London cholera epidemic of 1854 from which he concluded
that cholera was not passed by bad air but by contaminated water, and discovered
that a well that provided water to the public was collecting the leaching’s of a
bacteria laden cesspit. Snow had the handle removed from a water pump that was
found to be the neighborhood's source of the contaminated water, and immediately
the epidemic began to subside.
Scientific Classification:
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Gammaproteobacteria
Order: Vibrionales
Family: Vibrionaceae
Genus: Vibrio
Species: Vibrio cholerae
Morphology and Characteristics of Vibrio Cholerae
∙ Gram- negative rods
∙ Curved and comma shaped
∙ Highly motile; single polar flagella
, ∙ Sheathed, polar flagellum
∙ Non-spore forming
∙ Associated with salt water
∙ Oxidase positive
∙ Facultative anaerobe
∙ 1.4-2.6µm length and .5-.8 µm width
∙ Tolerate alkaline conditions to pH 9
∙ Produces cholera toxin
Figure: Vibrio Cholerae
Structural Characteristics of Vibrio cholerae
∙ Cell Wall
∙ Cell Membrane
∙ Cytoplasm
∙ Flagellum
∙ Ribosomes
∙ DNA
Figure: Vibrio cholerae
