10 facts on cholera

December 2012

People queuing up to fetch water at a community water fountain, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
WHO/C.L. Chaignat

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae O1 or O139. It is a global threat to public health and a key indicator of lack of social development. Recently, the re-emergence of cholera has been noted in parallel with the ever-increasing size of vulnerable populations living in unsanitary conditions.

This fact file presents 10 facts on cholera.

View the fact file on cholera

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