Cholera Prevention

Careful Eating Habits

You can prevent cholera by avoiding contaminated food and fluids in areas where cholera occurs. Currently, these areas include parts of these countries and continents:

• Asia
• Africa
• India
• South America
• Central America

When traveling in these areas, you are advised to:

• Eat only well-cooked foods that are served hot.
• Avoid all raw or undercooked shellfish.
• Avoid salads.
• Avoid raw vegetables that you have not peeled yourself.

Vaccine

The short-term cholera vaccine that was previously manufactured and sold in the United States is no longer available. Because it offered only brief and inconsistent immunity, this vaccine was not consistently effective. Cholera vaccines that provide somewhat better immunity and fewer side effects are now available in other countries, but are not recommended for travelers and are not licensed in the United States.