Cholera is caused by a water-borne bacterial pathogen called Vibrio cholerae that may be transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water or food. The rapidly developing, very contagious infection can cause abdominal cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to severe dehydration. This disease can kill a person within a few hours if it's left untreated. But usually, patients only need rehydration therapy and time to recover, although antibiotics are also used for more serious cases.
Since mid-May, an outbreak of cholera in Sudan has sickened over 2,500 people; it has killed more than 172 people in June alone. Most cases have happened in the capital city Khartoum, but the disease is spreading to other areas as well. Medical facilities in the war torn country are not equipped to deal with the massive influx in patients, health experts have warned.
The true scale of the outbreak is not known at this time, and it is likely that we only know about a fraction of the actual number of patients, said Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders.
There have also been more than 20,000 cases of cholera in Angola in 2025 so far, and over 600 people have died, according to the health ministry. Recurrent cholera outbreaks happen in Angola, where many people cannot access clean water and proper sanitation. UNICEF has noted that most of the affected individuals are children.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also dealing with a serious cholera outbreak. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most affected countries right now are: South Sudan, DRC, Angola, and Sudan. These countries are thought to account for 84 percent of total cases and 92 percent of deaths that have been reported due to cholera in Africa in 2025 so far.
Health officials in Ivory Coast have also announced that a cholera outbreak is ongoing in that country as well, where there are periodic cholera outbreaks. The disease killed seven people there in May.
In April, Kenya noted that a cholera outbreak was ongoing, by mid-May, 244 cases and 11 deaths were reported. There were serious floods in the country, which have significantly disrupted infrastructure and water quality. Efforts are being made by the Kenya Red Cross Society and others to provide resources to affected populations.
For the first time in a decade, Namibia also recorded a case of cholera. The affected individual lives in a region that borders Angola.
Cases of cholera appear to be on the rise in general, although it also depends on the geographical region (cases in general are falling in Southeast Asia but rising in sub-Saharan Africa, for example). Scientists have been assessing ways to reduce the spread of the illness.
Researchers have recently demonstrated that better access to clean water and sanitation can dramatically reduce cholera rates, unsurprisingly.
A recent study also suggested that during a serious cholera outbreak, it may be beneficial to use antibiotics on a wider scale to tamp down sickness and death. But scientists also want to mitigate such strategies so that widespread antibiotic use does not promote the evolution of antibiotic resistance in V. cholerae pathogens.
