Experts issue urgent warning as deadly disease makes shocking comeback: 'Action is needed, not tomorrow, but really now'

Fueled by a dangerous combination of poverty, conflict, and rising global temperatures, cholera cases and deaths rose globally for the second year in a row, the World Health Organization says.

What's happening?

Currently "resurging in a number of countries," according to an early-September report from NPR, an unusually large number of deadly cholera outbreaks have been spreading through parts of Africa and the Middle East. 

WHO says its 2024 numbers, now in, show that global cases rose by 5 percent from 2023 while deaths rose by 50 percent. Perhaps most tragically, this means that 6,000 people died from a disease last year that we already know how to prevent and treat.

Caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the diarrheal disease can be transmitted through feces-contaminated water and food. Infection can quickly lead to life-threatening dehydration, which seems particularly cruel since the outbreaks are linked to a lack of clean water access. 

Prompt rehydration therapy is important as is improved access to vaccines, both central to a newly formed emergency plan and task force coordinated by WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. But the underlying issue remains, including insufficient clean water.

Yap Boum of the Africa CDC said, per NPR, "Action is needed, not tomorrow, but really now."

How is cholera connected to rising temperatures?

Since cholera thrives where clean water is scarce, infections can be exacerbated by the overheating of our planet. WHO explains that extreme weather events fueled by rising global temperatures can threaten clean water sources and create a "perfect storm" for disease spread. 

Prolonged droughts dry up water supplies, while floods can lead to contamination by flushing sewage and other runoff into waterways as well as compromising sanitation infrastructure. Combined with conflict and income inequality, a warmer world is increasing this and countless health hazards. 

Rising global temperatures are enabling tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever to appear in new areas, like Quebec. In the Arctic, melting sea ice could release ancient diseases from the thawing permafrost.

While these risks may grow for everyone, they currently pose disproportionate impacts to marginalized communities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

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What's being done about it?

While the increase in deadly cholera cases is alarming, there are clear and proven solutions. 

Immediate relief involves simple oral rehydration salts, often a life-saving treatment for those who become sick. But improving community access to the full recommended vaccine dose is crucial too. As WHO has reported, "Further investment in vaccine production is also needed."

Resilient clean water systems and effective sanitation are also critical to preventing and limiting disease spread in the first place. And in the big picture, getting control of dangerous cholera outbreaks will require addressing the economic disparities, ongoing conflicts, long-term displacements, and contamination that drive infection rates. 

The resurgence of an ancient disease is a sobering reminder of these compounding effects, but we already have many of the tools needed to build a healthier future. And people around the world can play a part in the clean energy transition to mitigate rising temperatures while supporting policies that help protect water supplies and invest in global health.

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