Cholera and water: what you should know

Cholera is an intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria can enter drinking water when sanitation is poor or sewage contaminates water sources. A person may also become infected through food prepared with unsafe water. The illness can cause sudden, large-volume watery diarrhoea and vomiting, which can remove water and salts from the body quickly. Not every person exposed becomes ill, but anyone with symptoms can pass bacteria in stool and contaminate shared water or food.

Drink a prepared oral rehydration solution in frequent small amounts while arranging medical advice. Use bottled, boiled, or otherwise reliably treated water for drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, and preparing food. Wash hands carefully after using the toilet and before handling food; clean toilets and soiled surfaces safely. Do not rely on antibiotics chosen without clinical advice, and do not delay fluids while waiting for a test or prescription. Oral Rehydration Therapy can help replace lost fluid, while severe dehydration may require IV Fluid Therapy.

Seek urgent medical care for repeated watery stools, ongoing vomiting, marked thirst, a dry mouth, very little urine, dizziness, unusual sleepiness, confusion, fainting, cold hands or feet, or inability to drink. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with a long-term illness can deteriorate quickly. Severe dehydration is an emergency; a clinic or hospital may need to give IV fluids and monitor salts. For background on the symptom, see Diarrhoea.

Ask whether your symptoms require a stool test, which rehydration product is suitable, how to judge urine and drinking, and how to protect household members from contaminated water.