Editing Cholera (section)

== Diagnosis ==
A rapid [[dipstick]] test is available to determine the presence of ''V.&nbsp;cholerae''.<ref name="NEJM2006" /> In those samples that test positive, further testing should be done to determine antibiotic resistance.<ref name="NEJM2006" /> In [[epidemic]] situations, a clinical diagnosis may be made by taking a [[medical history|patient history]] and doing a brief examination. Treatment via hydration and over-the-counter hydration solutions can be started without or before confirmation by laboratory analysis, especially where cholera is a common problem.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cholera - Diagnosis and treatment  |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cholera/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355293 |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Mayo Clinic }}</ref>

Stool and swab samples collected in the acute stage of the disease, before antibiotics have been administered, are the most useful specimens for laboratory diagnosis. If an epidemic of cholera is suspected, the most common causative agent is ''V.&nbsp;cholerae'' O1. If ''V.&nbsp;cholerae'' [[serotype|serogroup]] O1 is not isolated, the laboratory should test for ''V.&nbsp;cholerae'' O139. However, if neither of these organisms is isolated, it is necessary to send stool specimens to a reference laboratory.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

Infection with ''V.&nbsp;cholerae'' O139 should be reported and handled in the same manner as that caused by ''V.&nbsp;cholerae'' O1. The associated diarrheal illness should be referred to as cholera and must be reported in the United States.<ref name="CDC_Diag">{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/pdf/Laboratory-Methods-for-the-Diagnosis-of-Epidemic-Dysentery-and-Cholera.pdf|title=Laboratory Methods for the Diagnosis of Epidemic Dysentery and Cholera|year=1999|publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]|access-date=2017-06-30|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623024004/https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/pdf/laboratory-methods-for-the-diagnosis-of-epidemic-dysentery-and-cholera.pdf|archive-date=2017-06-23}}</ref>