MEDBOX Issue Brief 26. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health ... medbox">and is an indicator of inequity and lack of social development. Researchers have estimated that every year, there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide due to the infection. However, cholera remains a neglected and underreported disease. Many cases are not recorded due to limitations in surveillance systems and fears of potential impact on trade or tourism. Today cholera affects 47 countries across the globe. Almost every developing country faces cholera outbreaks or the threat of cholera. Major ongoing outbreaks are being reported from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Major outbreaks are currently in Syria and Haiti. Therefore, MEDBOX decided to produce issue briefs on cholera and available resources in Arabic, English and French. more

Lancet 2013; 381: 1405–16 Series: Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea no.1