What Is Cholera?

Cholera is a waterborne bacterial infection that is a threat in undeveloped countries. Reviewed by a board-certified infectious disease physician.

January 17, 2025 · 5 min · 1035 words · Dawn Ramirez

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Cholera is extremely rare in the United States and other developed countries where public sanitation is well-established and good personal hygiene is widely practiced. Between 2001 and 2011, for example, there were only 111reported cases of cholerain the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, cholera outbreaks do still occur in parts of the world where sanitation and personal hygiene are rudimentary.

Verywell / Emily Roberts

How to Prevent Infection in Places Where Cholera is Found

If you plan to visit such an area, you should understand how the disease is transmitted and take care to protect yourself.

For example, there is a cholera vaccine for adults. But note that most people who travel to countries where cholera still exists do not go to the areas where outbreaks occur.

Cholera Symptoms

The characteristicsymptoms of severe choleraare huge volumes of explosive watery diarrhea that sometimes is called “rice water stools” (because it resembles water that has been used to wash rice), vomiting, and leg cramps. The rapid loss of fluids—as much as 20 liters per day—can quickly lead to severe dehydration.

Signs of dehydration include skin turgor (meaning a section of skin that’s pinched and is slow to return to normal position), sunken eyes, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, and weight loss.

Shock can occur when the loss of fluid causes the circulatory system to collapse because there isn’t as much blood, as usual, to flow through. Cholera doesn’t usually cause a fever.

Cholera Signs and Symptoms

Cholera Causes and Risk Factors

What Is Cholera?

People who are at risk of shock may need intravenous fluids to speed up the rate at which their bodies are replenished, however. These seriously ill patients also may be given antibiotics to help get rid of theV. choleraebacteria as quickly as possible, so that both the need for fluids and the amount of time the bacteria is present in their stool can be decreased.

Antidiarrheal medicines aren’t recommended for treating cholera, because they prevent the flushing of the bacteria from the body.

Although most cholera infections aren’t severe, people infected withV. choleraecontinue to shed the bacteria back into the environment, potentially infecting others with severe cholera disease. For this reason, the CDC recommends that anyone living in or traveling to places where cholera is found should drink boiled or chlorine- or iodine-treated water or bottled beverages. Foods should be thoroughly cooked, and individuals should peel their own fruits. Also, it’s smart to be wary of ice, raw foods, ice cream, and any foods and beverages from street vendors. Frequent and thorough hand washing also is vital to avoiding cholera.

Note, though, that cholera vaccines do not provide complete protection, and so even if you’ve been vaccinated it’s vital to follow basic safety precautions.

A Word From Verywell

People who live in developed countries don’t have to worry about cholera, but in certain parts of the world, it can be a veryreal threat. Countries, where cholera outbreaks occur, include Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are 1.3 million to 4 million cases of cholera every year and that between 21,000 to 143,000 people die from cholera.

In an effort to rid the world of cholera altogether, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control, a network for more than 50 universities, non-governmental organizations, and United Nations agencies, along with WHO, is focusing on three strategies:

Given how devastating cholera can be when outbreaks occur, this work is well worth the effort and an important step toward creating universal health and well-being.

Symptoms of Cholera

SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Travelers' Health: Cholera.” Updated March 6, 2018.Frerichs, RR, Keim, PS, Barrais, R, and Piarroux, R. “Nepalese Origin of Cholera Epidemic in Haiti.“Clin Microbiology and Infection. June 2012. Vol 18 Issue 6, pp. E158-E163. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.xLoharikar, A, et.al. “Cholera in the United States, 2001–2011: A Reflection of Patterns of Global Epidemiology and Travel.“Epidemiol Infect. Mar 2015; 143(4): 695-703. DOI:10.1017/S0950268814001186.Orata, Fabini D, Keim, Paul S, and Boucher, Yan. “The 2010 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti: How Science Solved a Controversy.“PLosPathog. Apr 2014; 10(4): e1003967. DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003967World Health Organization. “Cholera.” Updated Feb 1, 2018.

Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Travelers' Health: Cholera.” Updated March 6, 2018.Frerichs, RR, Keim, PS, Barrais, R, and Piarroux, R. “Nepalese Origin of Cholera Epidemic in Haiti.“Clin Microbiology and Infection. June 2012. Vol 18 Issue 6, pp. E158-E163. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.xLoharikar, A, et.al. “Cholera in the United States, 2001–2011: A Reflection of Patterns of Global Epidemiology and Travel.“Epidemiol Infect. Mar 2015; 143(4): 695-703. DOI:10.1017/S0950268814001186.Orata, Fabini D, Keim, Paul S, and Boucher, Yan. “The 2010 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti: How Science Solved a Controversy.“PLosPathog. Apr 2014; 10(4): e1003967. DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003967World Health Organization. “Cholera.” Updated Feb 1, 2018.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Travelers' Health: Cholera.” Updated March 6, 2018.Frerichs, RR, Keim, PS, Barrais, R, and Piarroux, R. “Nepalese Origin of Cholera Epidemic in Haiti.“Clin Microbiology and Infection. June 2012. Vol 18 Issue 6, pp. E158-E163. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.xLoharikar, A, et.al. “Cholera in the United States, 2001–2011: A Reflection of Patterns of Global Epidemiology and Travel.“Epidemiol Infect. Mar 2015; 143(4): 695-703. DOI:10.1017/S0950268814001186.Orata, Fabini D, Keim, Paul S, and Boucher, Yan. “The 2010 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti: How Science Solved a Controversy.“PLosPathog. Apr 2014; 10(4): e1003967. DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003967World Health Organization. “Cholera.” Updated Feb 1, 2018.

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