Brits Bring Home Cholera

International travelers visiting countries in Africa in 2025 should be aware of the health risks associated with the ongoing cholera outbreak.

Cholera is a potentially fatal infection that causes severe diarrhea but can be prevented with vaccination.

While cholera is no longer a health risk in the United Kingdom (UK), it is sometimes reported in returning travellers from three WHO regions.

For example, the UK's Travel Health Pro reported on March 7, 2025, that four cases of cholera (toxigenic Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1) were locally diagnosed in mid-February 2025.

Three UK travellers were recently diagnosed with cholera after visiting the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

A fourth UK cholera case did not travel but reported consuming water from Ethiopia by one of the returned travellers before experiencing symptoms.

Ethiopia is just one of 22 areas the WHO currently identifies as a risk for cholera.

A cholera vaccine can be considered for travellers departing from the UK following a full risk assessment and those with limited access to safe water and/or underlying health problems.

According to the U.S. CDC, cholera remains a global health risk.

And when leaving the United States in March 2025, the U.S. CDC recommends that travelers speak with a travel vaccine expert about cholera prevention options. Following increased production, cholera vaccines have become more available this year.