Cholera is caused by a germ (bacterium) and can cause digestive problems such as severe diarrhoea and vomiting. This can be quite mild, but in some cases it can increase your risk of dehydration, which can be fatal. Cholera is usually caught from drinking infected water or eating infected shellfish and other foods.
Person-to person spread can also occur. If you are travelling abroad, you can visit the UK NHS website Fitfortravel or the National Travel Health Network and Centre to find out if immunisation against cholera is recommended.
The worst affected areas are the Indian subcontinent, the Far East, Africa and South America. The risk to travellers even in infected areas is still quite small. Examples of people who are likely to be advised to have this vaccine include people going to work in an area of a known cholera outbreak, for example aid workers and health workers; and people planning to stay for a long time in an area where.
