Cholera Deaths Increased 71%

In its newly published report, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed a significant increase in global cholera outbreaks.

The WHO stated on September 4, 2024, that the number of reported cholera cases has risen by 13%, and fatalities have increased by 71% in 2023 compared to 2022.

Unfortunately, over 4,000 individuals succumbed to this vaccine-preventable and 38% of the reported cases affected children under the age of five last year.

Globally, cholera cases were reported in 45 countries, up from 35 in 2021.

The geographical distribution of cholera changed significantly, with a 32% decrease in cases reported from the Middle East and Asia and a 125% increase in Africa.

Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and Somalia reported large outbreaks of over 10,000 suspected or confirmed cases, with Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe adding to the tally in 2023. 

Currently, the U.S. has not issued a Travel Health Notice regarding the global cholera outbreak. However, the CDC says active cholera transmission is widespread in Haiti. 

Fortunately, only six cholera cases have been reported in the United States so far in 2024.

As of Fall 2024, the WHO has prequalified four oral cholera vaccines (OCV).

For example, Valneva SE's DUKORAL® prevents diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae and/or heat-labile toxin-producing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. DUKORAL contains four inactivated strains of V. cholerae serotype O1 and part of a toxin from one of these strains as active substances.

Despite the low stockpile of OCV, a record 35 million doses were shipped last year, with the one-dose strategy in effect. 

The WHO recommends international travelers speak with a vaccine expert one month before visiting a cholera-endemic country this year.