ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cholera (food)

Cholera is a very bad sickness that can happen when you eat food or drink water that has bacteria called Vibrio cholerae in it. These bacteria like to live in dirty water, like water that has pee or poo in it. They can get into your body when you eat food or drink water that has these bacteria in it.

When the Vibrio cholerae bacteria get into your body, they can make you very sick. You might start to feel bad within a few hours or a few days after you ate or drank something with the bacteria in it. You might feel like you have a tummy ache or have to go to the bathroom a lot. You might also feel very weak and dehydrated, which means you don't have enough water in your body.

When you have cholera, it's really important to drink clean water or special drinks with salt and sugar in them because you can lose a lot of water from your body when you're sick. This can make you feel even worse and can even be dangerous.

To stay safe from cholera, it's important to always wash your hands before eating, and to only drink clean water from a safe source. If you feel sick and think you might have cholera, it's important to go to the doctor right away so they can help you feel better.