Media University of Babylon | Scientific Symposium at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Cholera

Media University of Babylon - Faculty of Medicine

Scientific Symposium at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Cholera

By : Zaynab Kadhim Ameen Awadh

Date : 30/11/2025 27:23:12 PM

Scientific Symposium at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Cholera
As part of the activities of the Continuing Education Unit at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon, the Department of Microbiology organized a scientific symposium entitled “Cholera: The Forgotten Disease and Its Dangers in the Modern Era.”
The symposium was presented by Assistant Lecturer Dr. Mohammed Mohsen Mohammed, and attended by the Director of the Continuing Education Unit, Prof. Ilham Abbas Banyan, along with a group of faculty members and staff. The event was marked by a productive academic atmosphere and rich discussions that enhanced awareness of the dangers of cholera and ways to prevent it.
During the symposium, the lecturer discussed the definition of Vibrio cholerae bacteria and its primary sources in contaminated water or food, as well as its transmission via the fecal-oral route. Risk factors such as poor environmental sanitation and contaminated water sources were also addressed.
The pathogenic mechanism was explained in scientific detail, highlighting the role of cholera toxin in activating the enzyme adenylate cyclase through ADP-ribosylation of the stimulatory G protein (Gs?), leading to elevated intracellular cAMP levels in intestinal cells. This process results in massive loss of water and electrolytes, causing profuse watery diarrhea, general dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances, which may lead to hypotension due to reduced blood volume and decreased cardiac output in severe cases.
The symposium also covered the clinical manifestations and preventive measures, emphasizing the importance of improving water and sanitation services, and the use of approved oral vaccines. Moreover, the lecturer reviewed the World Health Organization’s 2025 statistics for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which continue to report multiple cholera cases amid complex environmental and health conditions. The session concluded by reaffirming WHO recommendations on environmental sanitation, preventive immunization, and strengthening epidemiological surveillance systems to curb the spread of the disease.