Cholera epidemic: protecting yourself and others

An epidemic means cholera is spreading among people in a community or setting. The infection is usually linked to contaminated water or food, and germs can move from an infected person’s stool to hands, surfaces, or supplies. Watery diarrhoea and vomiting can remove fluid quickly, so a person may become weak, dizzy, thirsty, or produce little urine.

Local public-health instructions may change as conditions develop. Follow advice about water treatment, food preparation, reporting illness, and where to obtain care. Do not assume that mild symptoms will remain mild.

Use the safest available drinking water and follow local instructions for making it safe. Wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food. Prepare Oral Rehydration Therapy exactly as directed and offer small, repeated sips to someone with diarrhoea. Separate towels, clean toilet areas, and avoid preparing food for others while ill.

Get urgent medical care for inability to drink, repeated vomiting, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, very little urine, or rapidly worsening watery diarrhoea. Do not wait for a public-health announcement before seeking help. A healthcare team can assess dehydration, arrange testing when appropriate, and provide IV Fluid Therapy if oral replacement cannot keep up with losses.

Ask which water-safety advice applies locally, how to prepare rehydration solution, whether household contacts need monitoring, and where to go if diarrhoea or vomiting worsens.