The infectious disease specialist denied the increase in the number of cholera diseases in Russia this year

The current epidemiological situation of cholera in Russia is absolutely stable. In 2025, isolated imported cases were registered. Andrey Pozdnyakov, PhD, infectious diseases specialist, chief physician of the INVITRO Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, told Izvestia about this on September 17.

"Isolated cases were promptly localized by specialists of the sanitary and epidemiological service (Rospotrebnadzor), the spread of infection was not allowed. There are no local outbreaks in the country; the risk of their formation is not predicted," he reassured.

The expert clarified that the most effective measures to prevent cholera for tourists traveling to epidochagi are: do not swim in fresh water; do not drink raw water under any circumstances; use boiled or clean bottled water to rinse your teeth — in any case filtered.

In addition, fruits should be washed on their own — thoroughly, with soap, preferably boiled water; do not eat fruits that have been cut in advance and packaged by someone. Also, according to Pozdnyakov, it is worth giving preference to thermally processed food — it effectively destroys cholera vibrions.

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If a person travels to a cholera-endemic country, vaccination is effective. The oral cholera vaccine is available in tablets. The scheme is simple and described in detail in the instructions: for adults, it is usually three tablets taken simultaneously; such a course provides protection for about six months.

"Therefore, if a person goes to a country with cholera cases for work or tourism purposes, and the number of cases is growing, why not get vaccinated? An important addition: This is an epidemic vaccine. That is, if an epidemic outbreak occurs, all people in the epidochage, as well as residents of the border regions, are vaccinated. There is no point in getting vaccinated just like that," the doctor noted.

As a rule, symptoms appear after infection within 2-3 days, the incubation period can reach a week, but this is rare. However, it is important to keep in mind that cholera can be confused with food poisoning. The main symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. At the same time, the temperature rises, but this symptom, explains the infectious disease specialist, is not the main one in cholera. The main thing is fluid loss with copious watery, very frequent stools and repeated vomiting. As for the specificity of the symptoms, similar manifestations can occur in various intestinal infections and food poisoning.

"The problem with cholera is that in clinically severe cases, the stool becomes profuse, watery — it is called "rice broth." It is a whitish water that is excreted in large quantities from the body. A person dies from massive loss of fluid from organs and tissues," Pozdnyakov said.

It is important that mild cases are very often not recognized. They are diagnosed only in the foci of particularly dangerous infections, when there is already an outbreak of cholera, and all patients are tested for vibrio cholerae.
It is worth considering that it is quite difficult to distinguish cholera from food poisoning by its symptoms. Food poisoning is accompanied primarily by vomiting, and the diarrheal syndrome in this case is not so pronounced. With cholera, diarrhea prevails, as a rule, but this is all within acceptable variations.

Earlier, on July 21, Izvestia reported that a dangerous Vibrio bacterium was discovered off the coast of Turkey. It was clarified that the microorganisms were found in the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, and their appearance is associated with an increase in water temperature due to global warming.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.