Where is cholera commonly found

Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly. The disease is not likely to spread directly from one person to another; therefore, casual contact with an infected person is not a risk factor for becoming ill. Be aware of whether cholera cases have recently occurred in an area you plan to visit. However, the risk for cholera is very low for people visiting areas with epidemic cholera when simple prevention steps are taken.

All visitors or residents in areas where cholera is occurring or has occurred should follow recommendations to prevent getting sick:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Cholera - Vibrio cholerae infection. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. General Information.

Minus Related Pages. Below you will find answers to commonly asked questions about cholera. On This Page. What is cholera? Where is cholera found? How does a person get cholera? What are the symptoms of cholera? How long after infection do the symptoms appear? Who is most likely to get cholera? What should I do if I or someone I know gets sick? How is cholera diagnosed? The DRC is another country with a high number of Cholera cases. There were 30, suspected cases of cholera and deaths in Although the number of cases was smaller than that of 56, cases and 1, deaths , the data showed an increase from 27, cases and deaths.

As of May 13, , 10, cases and deaths were reported; most of these reported cases originated from Lualaba regions, Haut Katanga and North and South Kivu. Somalia also stands as one of the countries with the most Cholera cases. From December to May 30, , there were 13, suspected cholera cases and 67 associated deaths in Somalia.

Other than the three countries listed above, there are many others that are also going through Cholera outbreaks. Uganda reported a new Cholera outbreak in the Moroto district in May ; a month later, cases and 92 deaths have been reported. Cholera is rare in the United States with the few cases related to travel outside the U. If you're traveling to areas known to have cholera, your risk of contracting the disease is extremely low if you follow these precautions:.

Drink only safe water, including bottled water or water you've boiled or disinfected yourself. Use bottled water even to brush your teeth.

Hot beverages are generally safe, as are canned or bottled drinks, but wipe the outside before you open them. Don't add ice to your drinks unless you made it yourself using safe water. For adults traveling from the United States to areas affected by cholera, a vaccine called Vaxchora is available in the United States. It is a liquid dose taken by mouth at least 10 days before travel.

A few other countries offer oral vaccines as well. Contact your doctor or local office of public health for more information about these vaccines. Even with the vaccine, it's important to take the above precautions to prevent cholera. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Kliegman RM, et al. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Elsevier;