Cholera in Asia

27 May 2024

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports continued transmission of cholera in Asian countries. 

Afghanistan: 33 307 cases (16 deaths) from 1 January 2024 to 27 April 2024

Bangladesh: 6 cases from 1 January 2024 to 30 April 2024

India: 690 cases from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024

Pakistan: 5 313 cases from 1 January 2024 to 24 March 2024

Syria: 9 820 cases from 1 January 2024 to 30 April 2024

Yemen: 4 276 cases (23 deaths) from 1 January 2024 to 30 April 2024

Cholera is an infection spread mainly through food and water that can cause sudden watery diarrhoea.

Advice for Travellers

Cholera is rare in travellers. Mild cases may present as travellers' diarrhoea.

If you are travelling to a country where there is an outbreak of cholera, you should be aware how to:

• practice safe food and water precautions
• practice effective hand hygiene
• treat mild diarrhoea, and when to seek medical attention

A vaccine is available to protect against cholera. Since the risk to travellers is very low, the vaccine is only usually recommended for volunteers or humanitarian workers travelling to work in disaster relief situations.

See the fitfortravel Cholera page for further information.