Acute watery diarrhoea and cholera in Bangladesh (Cox's Bazar)

27 Jul 2021

The World Health Organization reports 77,122 cases of people experiencing symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh from 1 January to 11 July 2021. Thirty-six of these cases were confirmed as being cholera. Cox's Bazar is the location of the world's largest refugee camp, which has significant public health challenges.  

Cholera is an infection spread mainly through contaminated food and water. It can cause you to have acute watery diarrhoea. However, acute watery diarrhoea may also be caused by other infections that are transmitted in the same way.

Advice for Travellers

Cholera is rare in travellers. Mild cases may present as travellers' diarrhoea.

If you are travelling to a country where there is an outbreak of cholera, you should be aware how to:

• practice safe food and water precautions
• practice effective hand hygiene
• treat mild diarrhoea, and when to seek medical attention

A vaccine is available to protect against cholera. Since the risk to travellers is very low, the vaccine is only usually recommended for 'high risk' travellers such as volunteers or humanitarian workers travelling to work in disaster relief situations.

See the fitfortravel Cholera page for further information.