Cholera worldwide overview
Monthly update as of 24 March 2025
Since 1 January 2025 and as of 17 March 2025, 76 919 cholera cases, including 969 deaths, have been reported worldwide.
Since 20 February 2025 and as of 17 March 2025, 20 851 new cholera cases, including 374 new deaths, have been reported worldwide. In comparison, since 1 January 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, 66 532 cholera cases, including 930 deaths, were reported worldwide.
New cases have been reported from Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The five countries reporting the most new cases are South Sudan (5 240), Afghanistan (4 947), Sudan (4 166), Angola (3 972) and Yemen (3 674). New deaths have been reported from Afghanistan, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
The five countries reporting the most new deaths are Angola (150), Sudan (96), Democratic Republic of Congo (86), South Sudan (69) and Ethiopia (22).
Geographical distribution of cholera cases reported worldwide from January 2025 to March 2025
Africa
Angola: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 14 March 2025, 3 972 new cases, including 150 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 14 March 2025, 7 119 cases, including 258 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Burundi: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 21 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 95 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 58 cases were reported.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Since 27 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 3 285 new cases, including 86 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 8 056 cases, including 171 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 5 613 cases, including 129 deaths, were reported.
Ethiopia: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 680 new cases, including 22 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 857 cases, including 25 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 2 288 cases, including 18 deaths, were reported.
Ghana: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 774 new cases, including three new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 2 253 cases, including 12 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Kenya: Since 9 August 2024 and as of 12 March 2025, 37 new cases, including one new death, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 37 cases, including one death, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 165 cases were reported.
Malawi: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, seven new cases, including one new death, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 90 cases, including three deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 187 cases, including three deaths, were reported.
Mozambique: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 410 new cases, including eight new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 474 cases, including eight deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 4 035 cases, including seven deaths, were reported.
Namibia: Since 31 January 2018 and as of 2 March 2025, one new case has been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 2 March 2025, one case has been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Nigeria: Since 10 February 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 235 new cases, including 14 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 1 124 cases, including 28 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 169 cases, including two deaths, were reported.
Somalia: Since 20 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 632 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 1 409 cases, including one death, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 2 943 cases, including 26 deaths, were reported.
South Sudan: Since 10 February 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 5 240 new cases, including 69 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 19 122 cases, including 262 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Sudan: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 4 166 new cases, including 96 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 6 603 cases, including 149 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Togo: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 23 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 161 cases, including four deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
Uganda: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 52 new cases, including two new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 139 cases, including three deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 38 cases, including one death, were reported.
United Republic of Tanzania: Since 31 December 2024 and as of 17 February 2025, 1 762 new cases, including 13 new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 1 762 cases, including 13 deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 1 274 cases, including six deaths were reported.
Zambia: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 91 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 3 March 2025, 315 cases, including nine deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 16 857 cases, including 554 deaths were reported.
Zimbabwe: Since 18 February 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 115 new cases, including five new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 12 March 2025, 248 cases, including seven deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 29 February 2024, 11 211 cases, including 157 deaths, were reported
Asia
Afghanistan: Since 3 February 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 4 947 new cases, including three new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 24 February 2025, 14 403 cases, including six deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 24 February 2024, 15 566 cases, including 10 deaths, were reported.
Pakistan: Since 6 January 2025 and as of 20 January 2025, 1 067 new cases have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 20 January 2025, 2 229 cases have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, 4 876 cases were reported.
Yemen: Since 20 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 3 674 new cases, including five new deaths, have been reported. Since 1 January 2025 and as of 17 February 2025, 9 784 cases, including nine deaths, have been reported. In comparison, in 2024 and as of 17 March 2024, no cases were reported.
ECDC assessment:
In 2025, cholera cases have continued to be reported in Africa and Asia. Within the last six months, cholera outbreaks have also been reported in parts of 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 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.