Pandemic
Cholera (7 pandemics)
Vibrio cholerae
4.0M
estimated deaths
Period
1817–Ongoing
Origin
India (Ganges Delta)
Death range
3.0M–5.0M
Infected
100.0M
Overview
Cholera has caused seven documented pandemics since 1817, all originating in the Ganges Delta of India. Caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, it spreads through contaminated water and causes severe diarrhea leading to rapid dehydration and death within hours if untreated. John Snow's mapping of the 1854 London outbreak pioneered modern epidemiology.
Historical Timeline
18171st pandemic — India
18292nd pandemic — reaches Europe
18523rd pandemic — global spread
2010Haiti outbreak
20237th pandemic ongoing
Symptoms
Profuse watery diarrhea ('rice-water')
Rapid dehydration
Muscle cramps
Vomiting
Death within hours if untreated
Affected Regions
India (origin)
Bangladesh
Africa
Haiti (2010 outbreak)
Sources & References
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