There have been a number of Cholera outbreaks this month:  Nepal, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe India  Nigeria. Also the outbreaks in Haiti and Dominican Republic have worsened 5,000 cases have been recorded and it is expected to get worse as we go into the hurricane season. This has  spread from Haiti where the outbreak has devastated the country

Prevention is always better than cure. There is a cholera vaccine available at The Travel Clinic Ltd, Cambridge and Ipswich called Dukoral. This is taken by mouth, two doses given one week apart.

We recommend this to travelers going to at risk areas who may not be able to be able to source well cooked food or boiled water.

Cholera infection is caused by contaminated food or water which can occur commonly after floods or disruption to sanitation. Cholera causes a sudden onset of watery diarrhoea often accompanied by vomiting. One can pass as much as 22 litres of diarrhoea in 24 hours.
Most symptomatic cases are hard to distinguish from other illnesses that cause diarrhoea - indeed it may be thought of as a nasty bout of travelers’ diarrhoea, but one in 10 may develop severe symptoms which require hospital admission.

Travellers should always boil water for three minutes prior to drinking or even cleaning teeth with it. Ensuring food is cooked thoroughly is another preventative measure that can reduce risk of transmission.
Treatment includes rehydration salts and drinking lots of safe water. Severely dehydrated patients may need intravenous fluids. Antibiotics can reduce the spread of the illness.

In addition to the Cholera vaccine (which also protects against E Coli infection); The Travel Clinic Ltd carries a stock of rehydration salts and water purification products for purchase.