Cholera worldwide overview
Monthly update as of 31 May 2024
Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 48 818 new cholera cases, including 176 new deaths, have been reported worldwide.
The five countries reporting the most cases are Afghanistan (13 451), Pakistan (13 005), Yemen (4 910), Somalia (3 646), and Comoros (3 385). The five countries reporting the most new deaths are Comoros (39), Yemen (35), Ethiopia (29), Somalia (27), and Zimbabwe (11).
New cases have been reported from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mayotte, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 200 314 cholera cases, including 1 955 deaths, have been reported worldwide. In comparison, since 1 January 2023, and as of 31 May 2023, 324 791 cholera cases, including 2 181 deaths, were reported worldwide.
Geographical distribution of cholera cases reported worldwide from April 2023 to May 2024
Since the last update, new cases and new deaths have been reported from:
Africa
Burundi: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 285 new cases, including one new death, have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 448 cases, including one death, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, as of 28 May 2023, 450 cases, including seven deaths, were reported.
Comoros: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 3 385 new cases, including 39 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 7 335 cases, including 121 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, as of 31 May 2023, no cases were reported.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 24 May 2024, 2 999 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 24 May 2024, 16 554 cases, including 285 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 7 May 2023, 18 794 cases, including 104 deaths, were reported.
Ethiopia: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 3 365 new cases, including 29 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 16 339 cases, including 126 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 13 May 2023, 5 451 cases, including 77 deaths, were reported.
Kenya: Since 29 March 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 67 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 253 cases, including one death, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 7 May 2023, 7 338 cases, including 109 deaths, were reported.
Malawi: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 10 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 253 cases, including three deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 28 May 2023, 41 357 cases, including 1 185 deaths, were reported.
Mozambique: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 457 new cases, including 3 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 7 828 cases, including 15 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 29 May 2023, 30 966 cases, including 134 deaths, were reported.
Nigeria: Since 30 April 2024 and as of 24 May 2024, 256 new cases, including 7 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 24 May 2024, 815 cases, including 14 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 28 May 2023, 1 851 cases, including 52 deaths, were reported.
Somalia: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 3 646 new cases, including 27 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 12 327 cases, including 114 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 7 May 2023, 7 442 cases, including 24 deaths, were reported.
South Africa: Since 20 January 2024, and as of 30 April 2024, 148 new cases, including 1 new death has been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 30 April 2024, 150 cases, including one death, has been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 22 May 2023, 39 cases, including 15 deaths, were reported.
Sudan: Since 31 December 2023, and as of 30 April 2024, 2 408 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 30 April 2024, 2 408 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 31 May 2023, no cases were reported.
Uganda: Since 29 February 2024, and as of 17 May 2024, 14 new cases, including 2 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 17 May 2024, 52 cases, including three deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 31 May 2023, no cases were reported.
United Republic of Tanzania: Since 30 April 2024 and as of 17 May 2024, 694 new cases, including 10 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 17 May 2024, 3 197 cases, including 42 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 4 May 2023, 82 cases, including three deaths, were reported.
Zambia: Since 30 April 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 108 new cases, including 1 new death has been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 19 956 cases, including 612 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 25 May 2023, 688 cases, including 13 deaths, were reported.
Zimbabwe: Since 30 April 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 985 new cases, including 11 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 19 182 cases, including 382 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 28 May 2023, 1 649 cases, including 44 deaths were reported.
Americas
Haiti: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 18 May 2024, 280 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 18 May 2024, 6 763 cases, including 119 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 20 May 2023, 22 727 cases, including 322 deaths, were reported.
Asia
Afghanistan: Since 27 April 2024 and as of 25 May 2024, 13 451 new cases, including 9 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 25 May 2024, 46 758 cases, including 25 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 21 May 2023, 54 908 cases, including 27 deaths, were reported.
Bangladesh: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 20 May 2024, two new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 20 May 2024, 8 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 24 May 2023, 34 609 cases were reported.
India: Since 15 April 2024, and as of 30 May 2024, 449 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 30 May 2024, 1 769 cases, including four deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 19 May 2023, 616 cases were reported.
Pakistan: Since 24 March 2024, and as of 20 May 2024, 13 005 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 20 May 2024, 18 318 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 23 April 2023, 7 314 cases were reported.
Syria: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 20 May 2024, 307 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 20 May 2024, 10 127 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 20 May 2023, 79 903 cases, including seven deaths, were reported.
Yemen: Since 30 April 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 4 910 new cases, including 35 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2024 and as of 31 May 2024, 9 186 cases, including 58 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023 and as of 7 May 2023, 3 014 cases, including three deaths, were reported.
Europe
Outermost regions
Mayotte: As of 31 May 2024, 143 new cases, including two new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2024, and as of 31 May 2024, 143 cases, including two deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2023, and as of 31 May 2023, no cases were reported.
ECDC assessment:
Cholera cases have continued to be reported in Africa and Asia in recent months. Cholera outbreaks have also been reported in parts of the Middle East and in the Americas.
In this context, the risk of cholera infection in travellers visiting these countries remains low, even though sporadic importation of cases to the EU/EEA is possible.
In 2022, 29 cases were reported by nine EU/EEA countries, while two were reported in 2021 and none in 2020. In 2019, 25 cases were reported in EU/EEA countries. All cases had a travel history to cholera-affected areas.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination should be considered for travellers at higher risk, such as emergency and relief workers who are likely to be directly exposed.
Vaccination is generally not recommended for other travellers. Travellers to cholera-endemic areas should seek advice from travel health clinics to assess their personal risk and apply precautionary sanitary and hygiene measures to prevent infection. Such measures can include drinking bottled water or water treated with chlorine, carefully washing fruit and vegetables with bottled or chlorinated water before consumption, regularly washing hands with soap, eating thoroughly cooked food, and avoiding the consumption of raw seafood products.
Actions:
ECDC continues to monitor cholera outbreaks globally through its epidemic intelligence activities in order to identify significant changes in epidemiology and provide timely updates to public health authorities. Reports are published on a monthly basis.
Disclaimer: Data presented in this report originate from several sources, both official public health authorities and non-official, such as the media. Data completeness depends on the availability of reports from surveillance systems and their accuracy, which varies between countries. All data should be interpreted with caution as there may be areas of under-reporting and figures may not reflect the actual epidemiological situation.
