Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract.
It is caused by a germ called Vibrio cholera . Currently, fewer that 100 are recognized in the United States each year, most of which are acquired in other countries. 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.