Cholera
Find out about cholera, as well as the prevention and treatment methods.
About
Cholera is a disease caused by the bacterium,
Vibrio cholerae, resulting in acute watery diarrhoea (runny tummy). Most people who become infected with cholera have no symptoms and do not know that they are infected. However, an infected person will shed the bacteria in their faeces for seven to fourteen days and can still infect others if they do not wash their hands after using the toilet or before preparing food.
Cholera can cause rapid dehydration (loss of body fluids) and death if not treated quickly and successfully.
People who are at risk of contracting cholera often don’t have access to adequate sanitation and use unsafe water from rivers, streams, boreholes, etc.
It is spread by:
- An infected person handling food without washing their hands
- Drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with the cholera bacteria (human faeces)
- Drinking unclean water
- Using contaminated water to wash fruit, vegetables, working surfaces or cutlery and crockery
did you know?
Water can be contaminated at its source if it is stored in dirty containers or handled by an infected person who has not washed their hands.
You can get Cholera if you eat vegetables that have been fertilised with contaminated human excreta (night soil) or "freshened" with contaminated water.
Infection can also be caused by fish (particularly shellfish) sourced from contaminated water and eaten raw or not cooked thoroughly.
Symptoms
Symptoms may occur within a few hours to five days after being infected (usually two - three days).
If you’ve contracted cholera you may experience:
- A sudden occurrence of severe, painless watery diarrhoea – in some cases it might have a ‘rice-water’ appearance;
- Vomiting early in the illness;
- Dehydration within hours of being ill, which may progress rapidly;
- Muscle cramps, cold sweaty skin and rapid breathing- this happens in severe cases;
Treatment
If you have any of the above symptoms, visit your nearest doctor, clinic or hospital immediately. If not treated, serious complications may occur, e.g. kidney failure.
If you, a family member or your baby has diarrhoea:
- Drink lots of fluids – dehydration can be rapid
- Prepare an oral rehydration solution (ORS) and drink this regularly and on your way to the clinic, doctor or hospital.
- Infants who breastfeed should continue for as long as they will feed.
- Do not take medication to stop the diarrhoea.
Please note
If you have diarrhoea, replace the lost fluids with an
oral rehydration/sugar and salt solution.
1. Boil one litre of water and allow it to cool.
2. Add eight level teaspoons of sugar and a half a teaspoon of salt and stir well.
3. Start taking the solution immediately and after each watery stool.
Follow the directions below to find out how much ORS to take or give according to age:
If you are vomiting too, do not stop taking the ORS. Pause for 5 - 10 minutes and then restart taking or giving the ORS at a slower pace.
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