A National Cholera Vaccine Stockpile — A New Humanitarian and Diplomatic Resource

Cholera is a severe and often rapidly fatal diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. People die from cholera because the pathogen elicits the secretion of large quantities (up to 20 liters daily) of bacteria-laden fluid from the intestine, resulting in extreme dehydration. If supplies of drinking water or food become contaminated with V. cholerae, the disease can spread through a population very rapidly. Cholera has afflicted humans for thousands of years and has led to millions of deaths. It is endemic in many parts of South Asia, and it can cause epidemics both in areas where it . . .