Cholera

Cholera is a severe bacterial infection of the intestines caused by Vibrio cholerae. It spreads through contaminated food and water and causes sudden profuse watery diarrhoea that can lead to rapid, severe dehydration and death within hours if untreated. Cholera outbreaks happen in India, typically in areas with unsafe water, poor sanitation, and during monsoons or after floods.

Symptoms

Symptoms can start within hours to a few days of exposure:

• Sudden, profuse, watery diarrhoea — classically described as "rice water" stool, pale and with no smell
• Vomiting
• Rapid dehydration — dry mouth, sunken eyes, reduced urine, weakness, dizziness
• Leg cramps
• Rapid pulse, low blood pressure
• In severe cases — shock, unconsciousness

Most infected people have mild or no symptoms; about 1 in 10 have the severe form. Severe cholera can kill within hours without treatment.

Treatment

Cholera is highly treatable:

• Immediate rehydration — the most important treatment. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) for mild-to-moderate cases; IV fluids in a hospital for severe dehydration
• Antibiotics shorten the illness and reduce the amount of infectious fluid; used for moderate-to-severe cases
• Zinc supplementation helps in children

With prompt rehydration, fewer than 1% of cases result in death. Delay in treatment is the main cause of mortality.

What to do — don't wait

If you or someone nearby has sudden profuse watery diarrhoea, start ORS immediately and go to hospital without delay. Dial 112 in an emergency. Keep fluid intake going even if vomiting — small, frequent sips.

Prevention

• Safe drinking water — boiled, filtered, or bottled
• Wash hands with soap — especially before eating, after the toilet, after handling waste
• Safe food handling — cook thoroughly, eat hot; peel fruits yourself; avoid raw salads in outbreak areas
• Sanitation — use toilets; keep human waste away from water sources
• Oral cholera vaccine — available for travel to high-risk areas and for outbreak control; your doctor or travel clinic can advise
• Community action during outbreaks — water chlorination, health-education drives, early case detection