What to know
- People can get cholera from drinking water or eating food containing cholera bacteria.
- Cholera can cause severe diarrhea which, left untreated, can lead to dehydration, even death.
![Young boy with his head resting on his crossed arms and being treated for cholera through an IV](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.cdc.gov/cholera/media/images/LittleBoy_Haiti_UNICEFCDC.jpeg)
Early symptoms
![A healthcare provider talks to a mother and her young son.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.cdc.gov/cholera/media/images/Family_Haiti_UNICEFCDC_1.jpeg)
People with cholera often will have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, and get better on their own. About 1 in 10 people will develop severe symptoms that can be life-threatening.
Early symptoms of cholera include:
- Watery diarrhea, sometimes described as "rice-water stools" because they are milky white
- Vomiting
- Leg cramps
- Restlessness or irritability
Symptoms usually appear 2-3 days after someone drinks or eats something containing cholera bacteria. Symptoms can show up within a few hours or up to 5 days.
During a cholera outbreak, people with acute watery diarrhea (3 or more loose stools a day) should seek care.
Later symptoms
Losing body fluids quickly from diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration. Patients with severe cholera may have lost more than 10% of body weight by the time they seek medical care.
If untreated, severe dehydration can lead to kidney failure, shock, coma, and death.
Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Rapid heart rate
- Loss of elasticity in the skin
- Dry mucous membranes
- Low blood pressure
With early and proper treatment, even people with severe cholera can survive.