An acute diarrhoeal infection from contaminated water or food, capable of causing severe dehydration within hours.
Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and is best known for how quickly it can turn a mild-seeming stomach upset into a genuine emergency — severe cases can lose litres of fluid within hours, and dehydration, not the infection itself, is what makes cholera dangerous.
The bacteria spread through water or food contaminated with faecal matter from an infected person, which is why outbreaks cluster around disrupted sanitation, flooding, or crowded settings without reliable clean water access.
The priority in any suspected cholera case is aggressive rehydration — oral rehydration solution for milder cases, and intravenous fluids for more severe dehydration — started as early as possible. Antibiotics can shorten the illness and reduce how long a person remains contagious, but rehydration is what actually saves lives, which is why we treat rapid fluid replacement as the first and most urgent step.
Seek care immediately if: diarrhoea is severe and watery — dehydration can become dangerous within hours, especially in children.
