Cholera 101: An Ancient Disease Keeps Cropping Up
The latest cholera surge is in Yemen, and Haiti is still fighting the world's worst outbreak. Why does this water-born disease remain a global health risk?
Cholera can kill a person in a matter of hours.
It's a severe gastrointestinal disease that can trigger so much diarrhea and vomiting that patients can rapidly become dehydrated. They lose so much fluid that their internal organs shut down.
The water-born disease has been around for centuries, and it remains a global health risk. According to the World Health Organization, there are roughly 3 million cases a year and 90,000 deaths. The worst outbreak right now is in Haiti, linked to cholera brought by U.N. peacekeepers in 2010. Outbreaks are also flaring
