You are here: Home » Cholera Update

The cholera outbreak in Haiti remains ongoing. The first confirmed report in the United States was a case of cholera in a traveler returning to Miami from Haiti which was reported on November 16, 2010. Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal infection from food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.

Recently, additional cases of cholera in returning travelers have been diagnosed in Florida, New York City and Boston. All of these infections were acquired in Haiti or the Dominican Republic. There has been no transmission of cholera to household contacts in the United States.

Travel Advisory

Before traveling to Haiti or the Dominican Republic, check CDC’s Web site for advice for travelers to Haiti and travelers to the Dominican Republic.

Travelers who develop watery diarrhea within 5 days after returning from cholera-affected areas should seek health care and report their travel histories. A few people in the United States also have contracted cholera after eating raw or uncooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico. If you think you have cholera, seek medical attention immediately.

Cholera Symptoms

Cholera infection is often mild without symptoms, but in about 5 percent of infected people, it can be severe with profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. Rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Rehydration should begin immediately on suspicion of disease. Without treatment, death can occur within hours.

To learn more about cholera, VA provides this fact sheet with Q & A (298 KB, PDF), based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/cholera/general.