Cholera: vaccines can stop the spread, but the biggest deterrent is clean water

South Africa has experienced outbreaks of cholera since January. The worst was in May in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, where nearly 30 people died.

Cholera is a bacterial disease which spreads via the faecal-oral route mostly through ingestion of contaminated food and water. It causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration, and in extreme cases death.

The source of the outbreak in Hammanskraal is still not known. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for responding to a cholera outbreak include ensuring that communities have access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and treating sick people quickly. Oral cholera vaccines may be considered to contain ongoing outbreaks and to limit the spread.

These vaccines have not been administered during the current outbreak in South Africa. The Conversation Africa spoke to vaccinologists Edina Amponsah-Dacosta and Julie Copelyn about the cholera vaccine and other ways to curb the outbreak.

Where do vaccines fit into the