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UK health alert as 'lethal' disease that kills in hours surges 56% in Brit holidaymakers

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a warning after 13 travel-associated cholera cases were reported in 2025, a 56% increase from the previous year

[A computer illustration of cholera bacteria]

New data reveals 13 travel-related Cholera cases(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

An alert has been issued following 13 cases of a potentially deadly disease that can prove "fatal within hours" being identified in individuals returning to the UK from four destinations. The UK Health Security Agency has published figures regarding the number of people in the UK who contracted serious infections while abroad in 2025.

The data reveals 13 travel-related Cholera cases plus one additional case in a person who drank water from an endemic country were recorded in 2025 - representing a 56 per cent rise.

Cholera is an acute, severe diarrhoeal illness triggered by consuming food or water tainted with the Vibrio cholerae bacterium.

[Person experiencing cholera symptoms]

Stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting are common symptoms of cholera(Image: GETTY)

It leads to rapid, serious dehydration and vomiting, which can prove deadly within hours without treatment, although many instances are mild. The disease flourishes in locations with poor sanitation.

Vibrio cholerae bacteria spreads via the faecal-oral pathway, typically through contaminated water sources, ice, or food. It doesn't usually transmit directly between people.

Symptoms may begin within hours to 5 days following exposure. These include sudden onset of severe, painless, watery diarrhoea, vomiting, and swift dehydration.

The UKHSA revealed that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 14 confirmed cholera cases were recorded in 2025, marking a 56% rise compared to 2024 when 9 cases were documented.

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A UKHSA report states: "Thirteen cases were travel-associated and one became ill after consuming water from an endemic country; the main travel destinations reported among cases were Pakistan and India

"13 travel-associated cholera cases and an additional case in an individual who consumed water from an endemic country were reported in 2025.

"The main travel destination for cases were Pakistan, India and Ethiopia. This compares to nine cholera cases in 2024."

The agency added: "Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with toxigenic strains of V. cholerae.

"Symptoms include acute, profuse watery diarrhoea 'rice water stools' and vomiting, and can lead rapidly to severe dehydration.

"In extreme cases infection can result in death if left untreated. A vaccine is available but is only recommended for some travellers."

The disease predominantly affects Africa and Asia, though isolated cases have also been documented in other regions.

In 2022, the World Health Organization recorded a worldwide surge in cholera notifications, with more cases emerging from a growing number of nations. In 2024, 39 countries documented outbreaks while 21 recorded travel-related cases exclusively.

In 2025, cases were confirmed in 33 countries spanning 5 WHO regions, with the Eastern Mediterranean recording the highest numbers, followed by Africa, South-East Asia, the Americas and the Western Pacific, reports the Mirror.

Cholera remains endemic in Pakistan and parts of India, UKHSA confirmed, where 19,017 and 2,267 cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea were documented in 2025 respectively.

Cholera also persists in Ethiopia, where an outbreak has continued since 2022 with over 58,000 cases recorded by early 2025 and 8,503 cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea reported in 2025.

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