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Risk to travellers of cholera

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The risk to travellers in general has been estimated as 0.2 cases per 100 000 European and North American travellers

  • this figure may be deceptive - this is because many travellers experience few or very mild symptoms and consequently they may not seek medical help
  • the risk is increased if the traveller is living in unhygienic conditions, travelling to remote areas or working in a disaster area or refugee camp (1).

The best way of prevention when travelling is to follow food and water hygiene:

  • wash hands after using the toilet and before cooking or eating
  • disinfect drinking water by boiling, using water purification tablets or water filtration devices:
    • avoid ice. Bottled, carbonated drinks, with intact seals and hot drinks made with boiled water are usual safe.
    • use bottled water or boiled, cooled tap water for brushing your teeth. Don’t use water from natural sources such as rivers or streams, uncovered wells or untreated tap water.
  • try to eat recently prepared, thoroughly cooked food, served piping hot:
    • salads or uncooked fruit and vegetables should not be consumed unless they have been washed and peeled carefully
    • buffets, food from street traders, unpasteurised dairy products and raw or undercooked meat, fish or shellfish should be avoided (1).

Reference:


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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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