25th Country Confirms Cholera Outbreak in 2023

The World Health Organization's (WHO) latest multi-country cholera outbreak situation (#5) says that Based on the large number of outbreaks and their geographic expansion, WHO continues to assess the risk at the global level as very high. 

As of August 4, 2023, twenty-five countries have reported cholera outbreaks since the beginning of 2023.

India became the 25th country on May 15, 2023.

The WHO African Region remains the most affected region, with 14 countries reporting cholera cases this year.

In the Region of the Americas, Haiti reported 54.826 cholera cases last year. 

The overall capacity to respond to multiple and simultaneous outbreaks continues to be strained due to the global lack of resources, including shortages of the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV).

Since the start of 2023 and as of July 24, 2023, a total of 49.9 million OCV doses have been requested, of which 19.3 million (39%) have been approved for 11 countries. The available (not yet allocated) global OCV stockpile was 2.7 million doses.

In the current outbreak context, only one-dose courses have been validated and implemented in these reactive campaigns. Doses for preventive campaigns cannot be supplied due to the low global stockpile, says the WHO.

In the U.S., the CDC recommends that adults traveling to areas with active cholera transmission get vaccinated with a newly licensed cholera vaccine, Bavarian Nordic's Vaxchora®. 

This OCV is indicated for active immunization against disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 in adults.

According to Vaxchora's manufacturers, the vaccine has limited availability in 2023.

Another vaccine. Valneva SE's Dukoral® is administered with a buffer solution that, for adults, requires 150 ml of clean water. Dukoral can be given to all individuals over the age of 2 years.