Cholera worldwide overview
Monthly update as of 24 December 2025
Since 24 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 30 611 new cholera cases, including 275 new deaths, have been reported worldwide.
New cases have been reported from Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar/Burma, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These countries had all previously reported cholera cases during 2025.
The five countries reporting most cases are:
- Democratic Republic of The Congo (8 374)
- Afghanistan (7 942)
- Yemen (7820)
- South Sudan (1 599)
- Angola (1 398).
New deaths have been reported from Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The five countries reporting most new deaths are Democratic Republic of The Congo (192), Mozambique (20), Angola (15), Yemen (13) and Nigeria (9).
In the previous reporting period (29 October 2025 to 25 November 2025), there were 15 394 new cholera cases, including 194 new deaths, reported worldwide.
In addition, 30 905 new cases were reported or collected retrospectively from before the last update on 24 November 2025.
Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 601 845 cholera cases, including 7 671 deaths, have been reported worldwide. In comparison, since 01 January 2024 and as of 24 December 2024, 733 355 cholera cases, including 4 834 deaths, were reported worldwide.
Geographical distribution of cholera cases reported worldwide from October 2025 to December 2025
Since the last update, new cases and new deaths have been reported from:
Asia
Afghanistan: Since 10 November 2025 and as of 8 December 2025, 7 942 new cases, including five new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 8 December 2025, 161 791 cases, including 79 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 9 November 2024, 160 794 cases, including 80 deaths were reported.
Myanmar/Burma: Since 3 November 2025 and as of 8 December 2025, 77 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 8 December 2025, 2 378 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 11 November 2024, 7 498 cases were reported.
Yemen: Since 13 October 2025 and as of 1 December 2025, 7 820 new cases, including 13 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 1 December 2025, 92 352 cases, including 243 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 23 December 2024, 260 552 cases, including 879 deaths were reported.
Since the previous update, no new cases or deaths have been reported by Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.
Africa
Angola: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 1 398 new cases, including 15 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 36 077 cases, including 892 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 24 December 2024, no cases were reported.
Burundi: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 387 new cases, including two new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 2 984 cases, including 13 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 6 December 2024, 2 216 cases, including 12 deaths were reported.
Cameroon: Since 25 November 2024 and as of 24 December 2025, 11 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 11 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 25 November 2024, 287 cases were reported.
Chad: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 7 December 2025, three new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 7 December 2025, 3 091 cases, including 167 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 24 December 2024, no cases were reported.
Congo: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, seven new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 815 cases, including 67 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 24 December 2024, no cases were reported.
Democratic Republic of The Congo: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 8 374 new cases, including 192 new deaths have been reported. A backlog of 1 133 cases and 22 deaths were reported since the last update. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 67 124 cases, including 1 939 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 18 November 2024, 28 618 cases, including 385 deaths were reported.
Ethiopia: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 144 new cases, including seven new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 8 393 cases, including 84 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 26 October 2024, 25 383 cases, including 245 deaths were reported.
Kenya: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 20 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 686 cases, including 26 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 09 August 2024, 300 cases, including three deaths were reported.
Malawi: Since 7 April 2025 and as of 11 December 2025, 2 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 11 December 2025, 93 cases, including three deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 18 November 2024, 355 cases, including nine deaths were reported.
Mozambique: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 549 new cases, including 20 new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 5 265 cases, including 66 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 02 August 2024, 8 183 cases, including 17 deaths were reported.
Namibia: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 46 new cases have been reported. Since 01 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 64 cases, including 1 death has been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 24 December 2024, no cases were reported.
Nigeria: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 894 new cases, including nine new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 22 196 cases, including 505 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 23 December 2024, 24 721 cases, including 726 deaths were reported.
Somalia: Since 29 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 691 new cases have been reported. A backlog of 75 cases were reported from Somalia, since the last update. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 8 763 cases, including nine deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 18 October 2024, 19 640 cases, including 138 deaths were reported.
South Sudan: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 1 599 new cases, including one new death has been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 79 633 cases, including 1 277 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 18 November 2024, 114 cases, including two deaths were reported.
Sudan: Since 22 November 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 57 new cases, including three new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 72 057 cases, including 2 077 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 18 November 2024, 35 675 cases, including 794 deaths were reported.
Zambia: Since 27 October 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 590 new cases, including eight new deaths have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 December 2025, 1 095 cases, including 18 deaths have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 19 July 2024, 20 063 cases, including 612 deaths were reported. Since the previous update, no new cases or deaths have been reported by Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
ECDC assessment:
In 2025, cholera cases have continued to be reported in Africa and Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
In this context, although the risk of cholera infection for travellers visiting these countries remains low, sporadic importation of cases to the EU/EEA is possible.
In the EU/EEA, cholera is rare and primarily associated with travel to endemic countries. Cholera reporting at the EU level is done on an annual basis, at the end of May for the year prior. In 2023, 12 confirmed cases were reported by five EU/EEA countries, while 29 were reported in 2022, two in 2021, and none in 2020. In 2019, 25 cases were reported in EU/EEA countries (including the United Kingdom). 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 may 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. The worldwide overview of cholera outbreaks is available on ECDC's website.
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Cholera
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera of serogroups O1 or O139. Humans are the only relevant reservoir, even though Vibrios can survive for a long time in coastal waters contaminated by human excreta.