Cholera is an acute bacterial enteric disease caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae . It has a short incubation period from a few hours to 5 days. In most cases, infection is asymptomatic or causes mild diarrhoea, especially with organisms of the El Tor biotype. Severe cases are characterized by sudden onset, profuse painless watery diarrhoea, nausea and profuse vomiting early in the course of illness. In these persons, dehydration and shock can occur because of a rapid loss of body fluid, and without treatment death may occur.

Fact sheets

• Cholera (WHO Headquarters)

News and press releases

4 January 2008
Cholera outbreak hits southern Lao PDR
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