In Asia, watermelons may be injected with contaminated water to increase their weight. Travelers who experience profuse diarrhea should make every effort to maintain their fluid intake. Oral rehydration packets that include electrolytes and glucose can be mixed with sterile water to ensure that intestinal losses are adequately replaced. Alternatively, a mixture of fruit juice, sugar, salt and baking soda may be used to replace electrolyte losses. The current vaccine is an inactivated suspension of V. cholerae.
Side effects are common and include fever, myalgias, fatigue, and pain at the site of injection.
Immunity wanes within six months or less. Simultaneous vaccination against cholera and yellow fever can result in reduced antibody titers to both diseases. Although the clinical significance of these reduced titers is unknown, the two vaccinations should be separated by at least 3 weeks if possible. Because of the low risk of cholera in travelers and the limited benefit of vaccination, vaccination is not recommended. In the past, many countries required proof of cholera vaccination before they would permit travelers to enter.