Vibrio cholerae spreads via water contaminated by the feces of an infected person. When it reaches the gut, the immune system attacks it. But there’s a twist: as the pathogens die, they release an incredibly powerful toxin that causes the plasma—the transparent liquid component of our blood—to drain into the intestines. From there, it is expelled from the body through explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting. In severe cases, victims can lose a quarter of the body’s fluid within a few hours. Severe dehydration makes sufferers appear shriveled.
