Transmission: Cholera can be transmitted by drinking contaminated water or by eating contaminated food. During an epidemic, the source of contamination is usually the feces of an infected person. The disease can spread very quickly in areas that have inadequate sewage treatment and drinking water.

Cholera can also be contracted by eating raw shellfishthat have been exposed to the cholera bacterium in brackish rivers and coastal waters. A few people in the U.S. have contracted cholera from digesting raw or under-cooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico.

Prevention: There is currently no available vaccine against cholera.

Travelers to an area where cholera has occurred should:

• Drink only water that has been boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine.
• Drink bottled beverages with no ice.
• Eat only foods that have been cooked thoroughly and are still hot, or fruit you have peeled yourself.
• Avoid undercooked or raw shellfish, including ceviche.
• Make sure all vegetables are cooked. Do not eat salads.
• Avoid food and beverages from street vendors.
• Never bring perishable seafood back to the U.S.

Those who expect to travel in an area where cholera may occur should call  877-FYI-TRIP to receive the latest information on cholera or other diseases of concern to travelers.

Treatment: Immediately replace the fluids and salts lost through diarrhea. With prompt rehydration, fewer than one percent of cholera patients die.