A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
The source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person, or water contaminated with sewage. Cholera primarily occurs in settings where there is inadequate access to clean water and sanitation.
Cholera is characterized by copious watery diarrhea, without abdominal cramps or fever. Most individuals infected with toxigenic V. cholerae O1 have no symptoms, and some have only mild to moderate diarrhea lasting 3 to 7 days.
People exposed to cholera may experience mild profuse vomiting and dehydration. Cholera diarrhea can look like cloudy rice water.
Cholera can cause death from dehydration (the loss of water and salts from the body) within hours if not treated.
Cholera: Causes and symptoms
