Cholera is caused by a bacterium named Vibrio cholerae. It is a feared disease world-wide but most infections will actually only produce mild diarrhoea or no symptoms at all. Despite this, cholera outbreaks can lead to numerous deaths, especially in regions where medical treatment is out of reach.

About in 5-10% of all the persons infected with cholera will develop a serious form that can be fatal. The outbreak can occur as early as 6 hours after exposure to the bacterium, but it can also take up to 5 days for any symptoms to appear.

The major risk factor with cholera is that is can cause the body to loose vast amounts of fluids in a very short time. It is difficult to replenish the fluids at the same pace as they are lost, and failure to do so will lead to severe dehydration and possibly death. In severe cases, the infected person can die within a few hours.

For those who wish to protect themselves and can afford to pay, an oral vaccine is available that will prevent cholera for up to 3 years. The vaccine is swallowed instead of injected, so there are no needles involved. Unfortunately, the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.