Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. Children as well as adults can get infected. Among those infected, about 20% develop acute watery diarrhoea, of which 10-20% develop severe watery diarrhoea with vomiting. The mainstay of treatment is rehydration and up to 80% of cholera cases can be treated successfully using only oral rehydration salts.
Prompt and appropriate medical management of cases can significantly decrease mortality; when applied properly, case-fatality rate should be below 1%. In untreated cases the case fatality rate may reach 30-50%. These levels are often observed in crisis situations with overcrowding, limited access to health care, and precarious environmental management.