Cholera
Understand cholera through a concise source-checked overview, clear reporting context and direct links to official public-health information.
What it is
Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. It is associated with contaminated water or food and is especially concerning where safe drinking water and sanitation are disrupted.
Transmission and recognition
Many infections cause mild symptoms or no symptoms. Severe watery diarrhoea and vomiting can rapidly cause dehydration and can be life-threatening. Suspected severe illness needs prompt medical attention.
Prevention and care context
Safe water, sanitation and hygiene are central to prevention. Travel-related precautions and vaccination decisions depend on the destination and the individual; consult current official advice.
How to read outbreak reporting
Cholera reporting may distinguish suspected cases from laboratory-confirmed cases. A rise in reported suspected cases can reflect changes in surveillance as well as changes in transmission. Check the reporting period and definitions before drawing conclusions from a chart.
Sources & Verification
AI-assisted research and writing. Source checks do not represent clinical review.
- CDC: Cholera Verify original (opens in a new tab)
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The first cholera pandemic, beginning in 1817
The first nineteenth-century cholera pandemic, its spread from Bengal, and why the beginning of a pandemic differs from the first existence of a disease.
The second cholera pandemic and the outbreaks of the 1830s
Cholera’s nineteenth-century movement into Europe and North America, with reporting dates and the differing boundaries of the second pandemic explained.
The third cholera pandemic and London in 1854
The mid-nineteenth-century cholera crisis, John Snow’s London investigations, and the difference between a local study and a global pandemic total.