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Observium › Cholera

Cholera Vibrio cholerae

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This can in turn result in sunken eyes, cold or cyanotic skin, decreased skin elasticity, wrinkling of the hands and feet, and, in severe cases, death. Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.

89WHO outbreaks
143,540Cases reported
32797Deaths
10Countries affected

Countries with active outbreaks

  • Haiti — 8 events, 1,964 cases, 299 deaths
  • Cameroon — 6 events, 7,692 cases, 205 deaths
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo — 5 events, 23,348 cases, 4849 deaths
  • Dominican Republic — 5 events, 739 cases
  • Sierra Leone — 5 events, 34,191 cases, 1254 deaths
  • Mozambique — 4 events, 2,009 cases, 37 deaths
  • Iraq — 4 events, 4,221 cases, 2 deaths
  • Tanzania — 4 events, 16,098 cases, 773 deaths
  • Mexico — 4 events, 711 cases
  • Sudan — 3 events, 916 cases, 4768 deaths

Recent events

  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · Democratic Republic of the Congo — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · Republic of the Congo — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · South Sudan — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · Sudan — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · Afghanistan — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-08-29T18:00:00Z · Myanmar — Cholera – Multi-country with a focus on countries experiencing current surges · 638 cases · 4738 deaths
  • 2025-03-28T19:00:00Z · Angola — Cholera - Angola · 253 cases · 329 deaths
  • 2023-09-21T18:00:00Z · Republic of the Congo — Suspected triple outbreak of typhoid fever, shigellosis and cholera – Congo · 1384 cases · 52 deaths

Frequently asked questions

What is Cholera?

Cholera is an infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This can in turn result in sunke

How is Cholera transmitted?

The main transmission routes of Cholera are: fecal-oral (contaminated water/food).

Where is Cholera endemic?

Cholera is endemic in the following regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia.

What is the case fatality rate of Cholera?

The typical case fatality rate (CFR) of Cholera is 1–5 (untreated 50)%.

How many active Cholera outbreaks worldwide?

Currently 89 active WHO outbreaks reported, with 143540 cases and 32797 deaths in the surveillance window.

Official sources

Observium aggregates real-time data from authoritative sources: WHO Disease Outbreak News, CDC NNDSS, ECDC, Europe PMC, Italian Ministry of Health, ISS, UKHSA, RIVM, RKI, BAG, ISCIII, NICD, and 20+ national sources plus Google News.

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