Cholera

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection resulting in severe watery diarrhoea: it is caused by the bacteria, vibrio cholerae.

Cholera is common in parts of Africa, Asia and South America. It is rarely reported in New Zealand, and when it is, the case will usually have recently travelled to areas where cholera is common.

How does a person become infected?

People become infected by swallowing contaminated food and water.

Signs and symptoms of the illness

The main symptom of the infection is the sudden onset of watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting. If untreated, the fatality rate in severe cases can be as high as 50 per cent due to dehydration and kidney failure.

Infection without symptoms, or with only mild diarrhoea, is common particularly in children.

Treatment of cholera

The initial treatment for cholera infection is oral rehydration therapy with oral rehydration solution (ORS) as cholera causes severe dehydration. This therapy may be all that is required to treat mild to moderate illness but severe dehydration usually requires the replacement of fluid by intravenous infusion and antibiotic therapy.

Taking time off work or school

If you are employed in a hospital, rest home, school, early childhood centre, or working with food you will be required to stay away from work until you no longer have the bacteria in your faeces.

Avoidance

Oral rehydration powder (available from pharmacies) should be carried by travellers intending to visit areas where cholera occurs. The water used to reconstitute the powder should be made safe to drink by boiling or by a chemical sterilisation process.

Travellers should avoid consuming food and liquids which may potentially be contaminated with cholera bacteria. Also avoid contact with the vomitus and faeces of an infected person especially during the illness and for several days after symptoms of illness cease.

Detailed advice for travellers on the prevention of food borne illness can be found in the World Health Organisation publication "International Travel and Health".

Summary

Cholera is an acute bacterial diarrhoel disease.
People become infected by swallowing contaminated food and water.
If you are employed in a hospital, rest home, school, early childhood centre, or working with food you will be required to stay away from work until you no longer have bacteria in your faeces.
Detailed advice for travellers on the prevention of food borne illness can be found in the World Health Organisation publication "International Travel and Health".

More information

For more information contact your doctor or a health protection officer at the Health Protection Unit (telephone (07) 838 2569).

back to Communicable disease list