What should you know about cholera guidelines?

Cholera can cause sudden, watery diarrhoea and vomiting that remove water and salts from the body. The main danger is dehydration, which can worsen quickly. A person with suspected cholera should be assessed by a clinician, especially during an outbreak or after possible exposure. Symptoms may be mild in some people and severe in others, so treatment decisions depend on alertness, ability to drink, ongoing fluid loss, and signs found during examination.

Guidance also includes hygiene. Use safe drinking water, wash hands with soap after using the toilet and before preparing food, and handle vomit or stool carefully. Do not share food or drinks while unwell.

Start approved oral rehydration solution if the person is awake and able to swallow, taking frequent small sips and continuing after each loose stool. Do not rely on plain water alone when fluid loss is substantial. Seek medical advice promptly for suspected cholera; a clinic may provide supervised rehydration, tests, and medicines when appropriate. Severe dehydration may require IV Fluid Therapy. Keep drinking water and food preparation areas protected, clean frequently touched surfaces, and avoid preparing food for others until a clinician advises that it is safe.

Get urgent medical help for confusion, unusual sleepiness, fainting, very little urine, a dry mouth with intense thirst, sunken eyes, cold hands or feet, repeated vomiting, or inability to drink. Urgent assessment is also needed when watery diarrhoea is frequent, symptoms are worsening, or the person is a young child, older adult, pregnant, or has another illness. Use emergency services if the person collapses or cannot be woken.

Ask whether the symptoms fit cholera, how much oral rehydration solution to give, which warning signs require hospital care, and how to protect household members. Tell the clinician when symptoms began, how often diarrhoea or vomiting occurred, what the person has been able to drink, and whether anyone else is ill.