Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract.
It is caused by a germ called Vibno cholera. Although only a few cases are recognized in the United States each year, epidemic levels of cholera have recently been reported in parts of Central and South America. While cholera is a rare disease, those who may be at risk include people traveling to foreign countries where outbreaks are occurring and people who consume raw or undercooked seafood from warm coastal waters subject to sewage contamination. In both instances, the risk is quite small. The cholera germ is passed in the stools.