Health
As cholera cases rise worldwide, health officials sound 'concerning' alarm about vaccine shortages
As cholera continues to surge — and as vaccines remain in short supply — experts are warning about the global risk.
Cholera is a bacterial disease typically spread by food and water, leading to severe diarrhea and dehydration. It has been on the rise around the world since 2021.
Each year, there are some 1.3 to 4 million cases of cholera worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately 21,000 to 143,000 deaths occur as a result.
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Around 473,000 cases were reported to WHO in 2022, which was twice as many cases as the prior year.
Reported cases for 2023 are expected to exceed 700,000.
As cholera continues to surge — and as vaccines remain in short supply — experts are warning about the global risk. (iStock)
“It is concerning to see an increase in the number of cholera cases worldwide, with the majority of the cases in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, M.D., assistant dean and professor at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, told Fox News Digital.
The countries most affected include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zambia and Zimbabwe, according to UNICEF.
The disease can spread quickly in locations where there is insufficient treatment of drinking water and sewage.
Although cholera cases were prevalent in the U.S. in the 1800s, water treatment systems have largely eliminated the disease, per the CDC.
In rare cases, people in the U.S. have contracted the disease from consuming raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico, the agency stated on its website.
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“In the U.S., the cases have remained very small and are usually from travel exposure,” Vivekanandan noted.
Why the spike in global cases?
Cholera is typically spread when someone drinks water or eats food that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, according to the CDC.
The disease can spread quickly in locations where there is insufficient treatment of drinking water and sewage, the agency warned.
Cholera has been on the rise around the world since 2021, according to health officials. (iStock)
It is not typically transmitted from person to person.
UNICEF noted in a statement that the rise in cholera is driven by “persistent gaps in access to safe water and sanitation.”
“In the U.S., the cases have remained very small and are usually from travel exposure.”
“I think the cases might be increasing due to climate change, displacements of homes due to disasters, and not having good sanitary conditions, such as poor water sources,” Vivekanandan told Fox News Digital.
Symptoms of cholera
Around 10% of the people who are infected with cholera will develop severe symptoms, including watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Advanced symptoms include shock and dehydration.
Without treatment, the disease can be fatal.
Around 10% of those who are infected with cholera will develop severe symptoms including watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps, according to the CDC. (iStock)
“Dehydration is the biggest concern with cholera, and rehydration is the most important component of treatment,” said Vivekanandan.
“Most patients with cholera will have mild diarrhea, but 10% will have severe diarrhea and will need rehydration and treatment with antibiotics.”
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Some groups are more susceptible to the disease, according to the CDC.
“Individuals with achlorhydria (the absence of hydrochloric acid in digestive stomach juices), blood type O, chronic medical conditions, and those without ready access to rehydration therapy and medical services are more likely to have severe disease from cholera and suffer poor outcomes,” the agency noted.
Treatment and prevention
The most effective treatment for cholera is “immediate replacement of the fluid and salts lost through diarrhea,” the CDC stated.
This is achieved by giving patients a mixture of sugar and salts mixed with 1 liter of water.
In some severe cases, the patient may require intravenous (IV) fluids.
There is a “severe gap” in the number of available vaccine doses compared to the level of current need, said UNICEF. (iStock)
Some patients also receive antibiotics to make symptoms less severe.
“Persons who develop severe diarrhea and vomiting in countries where cholera occurs should seek medical attention promptly,” per the CDC.
There is a single-dose vaccine for cholera, called Vaxchora (lyophilized CVD 103-HgR).
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Those who are between the ages of 2 and 64 and who are traveling to “an area of active cholera transmission” are eligible to receive it.
There are three other cholera vaccines, but they are not available in the U.S.
What to know about vaccine shortage
There is a “severe gap” in the number of available vaccine doses compared to the level of current need, said UNICEF on its website.
“Between 2021 and 2023, more doses were requested for outbreak response than the entire previous decade,” UNICEF noted.
In rare cases, people in the U.S. have contracted the disease from consuming raw or undercooked shellfish from the Gulf of Mexico, the CDC stated on its website. (iStock)
While cholera vaccines used to be administered in two doses, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) changed the recommendation to a single dose in Oct. 2022 due to the ongoing shortage.
Vivekanandan called the vaccine shortage “very concerning.”
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“This is a serious infection, and we must invest financial and other resources to reduce the worldwide burden,” he told Fox News Digital.
“International resources need to be committed, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies need to happen to help produce more vaccines.”
“This is a serious infection, and we must invest financial and other resources to reduce the worldwide burden.”
Vivekanandan also urged people who are traveling from the U.S. to other countries to review the CDC’s travel guidance and get any required vaccines.
“I would also recommend that people follow good travel medicine guidance, such as drinking bottled water, eating well-cooked food and making sure to have good hand hygiene,” he added.
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“As the WHO has stated, we need to have multi-pronged approaches, with a combination of surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene, social mobilization, treatment, and oral cholera vaccines available for communities at high risk.”
The disease can spread quickly in locations where there is insufficient treatment of drinking water and sewage. (iStock)
On the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, Vaxchora is listed as a “resolved shortage.”
The FDA noted that Emergent Travel Health, manufacturer of the vaccine, announced in May 2021 the temporary discontinuation and distribution of Vaxchora, “due to a significant reduction of international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The shortage is listed as having been resolved in May 2023.
Fox News Digital reached out to WHO, the FDA and Emergent requesting comment.
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Bipartisan push to invest in US national parks
Bret Baier moderates a discussion with Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) about the ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative. This bipartisan effort seeks to modernize national parks ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, investing $1.9 billion annually. They emphasize national parks as common ground, beloved by all Americans, and crucial for our shared heritage.
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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, many Americans are taking extra notice of all the things the country has to offer.
One such case is our access to vast wilderness. Today, the nation’s national parks are bustling tourist attractions, but they may also serve as vital resources for public health, experts say.
The most immediate health boost comes from physical movement.
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Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that regular physical activity is crucial for reducing obesity, improving sleep quality and lowering the risk of chronic illnesses.
The nation’s public lands include parks, trails and open spaces that encourage outdoor recreation and physical activity.
Beyond physical fitness, national parks contribute to documented mental health benefits. (iStock)
A review by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) found that implementing park, trail and greenway infrastructure directly increases physical activity across communities.
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When people walk, hike or bike through national parks, they are actively lowering their blood pressure, boosting immune function and reducing overall mortality, data shows.
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Beyond physical fitness, national parks may contribute to documented mental health benefits.
Previous research has demonstrated that direct exposure to nature significantly reduces physiological stress, lowers heart rates and decreases levels of stress hormones, like cortisol.
Engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline, research shows. (iStock)
This research also shows that natural environments boost attention span, combat mental fatigue and improve cognitive performance.
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Parks also act as natural venues for mindfulness and social connection.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Research highlights that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation. (iStock)
Additionally, because parks protect cultural and historical resources, they can inspire lifelong learning.
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According to the data, engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline.
The National Park Service was established in 1916 to conserve the nation’s natural and historic resources for future generations, according to the organization.
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Today, that mission has expanded, as parks are recognized not only for their scenic and cultural value, but also the opportunities they provide for recreation and physical activity.
Screwworm outbreak threat to US livestock, prompts USDA action
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins discusses USDA’s response to the New World Screwworm outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, assuring safe food supply on ‘The Bottom Line.’ VI LONG DEK: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses the alarming resurgence of New World Screwworm in Texas and New Mexico, emphasizing USDA’s aggressive containment efforts. She confirms the food supply remains safe while highlighting the administration’s focus on domestic fertilizer production, investing billions in new plants and infrastructure projects. Rollins celebrates 250 years of American agriculture and its vital role in national security.
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Doctors thought a 60-year-old man had metastatic brain cancer after scans revealed multiple tumors – but further testing revealed a shocking diagnosis.
The Spanish man, who was not named, was found to have a parasitic tapeworm larvae lodged in his brain — a case of neurocysticercosis, a parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium).
The patient, a lifelong resident of Castellón, Spain, had not traveled to any regions where the disease is endemic, according to the case report published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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The man had initially come to the hospital after suffering two weeks of progressive headaches and mild behavioral changes.
Radiologic findings from a study of autochthonous neurocysticercosis brain lesions mimicking metastatic disease. (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
CT scans showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer.
However, whole-body scans, a colonoscopy and specialized imaging failed to identify cancer anywhere in the patient’s body, the case report stated.
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When doctors performed a more detailed MRI, they discovered several fluid-filled cysts in the brain, some of which contained the head of a tapeworm. A blood test confirmed the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.
The man was treated with a combination of albendazole and praziquantel (two antiparasitic medications), as well as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. He successfully recovered with no complications, according to the case report.
CT scans (not pictured) showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer. (iStock)
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier.
The exposure may have occurred while working a construction job with migrant coworkers from regions where neurocysticercosis is endemic.
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People can catch the pork tapeworm in two different ways. Eating undercooked infected pork usually leads to an intestinal tapeworm, but accidentally swallowing the parasite’s eggs — typically through food or water contaminated with feces — can send the larvae into the bloodstream, where they may form cysts in the brain and other organs. This can cause the disease the patient in the case report acquired.
A photomicrograph shows histopathologic features in a brain tissue specimen from a case of neurocysticercosis caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The image documents pathological changes associated with this parasitic infection. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
As this was just a single case, the source of transmission could not be proven, the researchers acknowledged, and the findings cannot be generalized to a wider population. The report shows that there is a possibility of local transmission in non-endemic settings, but cannot establish how often this occurs.
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In the United States, less than 2% of neurocysticercosis cases are considered domestically acquired, according to the case report.
A prior systematic review identified only 18 confirmed locally acquired cases in Western Europe between 1990 and 2011.
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier. (Associated Press)
In some cases, NCC can cause serious symptoms, including seizures, stroke, neurological deficits and cognitive decline.
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“Our case emphasizes that the absence of travel history should not preclude NCC from the differential diagnosis of multiple ring-enhancing brain lesions, even in regions where metastatic cancer is statistically much more likely,” the researchers concluded in the case study.
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Detecting the worms earlier could have prevented “unnecessary invasive oncologic procedures and led to prompt, targeted antiparasitic therapy,” they added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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A rare and potentially fatal tick-borne illness currently spreading across the United States can be traced back to a 1958 case involving a young boy on a farm.
The disease, known as Powassan virus, was named for the Ontario town near where it was first discovered.
At the time of his death, Lincoln Byers, a 4-year-old living in Canada, had a condition that medical professionals could not explain, the Boston Globe reported.
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Years later, researchers discovered a tick harboring the same virus on a dead squirrel, finally providing an answer to the tragedy, but foreshadowing a growing public health challenge.
While once considered an obscure medical anomaly, Powassan virus cases have reached historic highs in the U.S., data show.
Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases. (iStock)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 Americans were diagnosed with the virus in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Previously, the U.S. averaged just seven to eight diagnoses each year.
The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected woodchuck tick or deer tick. Like other tick-borne illnesses, Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases.
Public health experts warn that the virus’s transmission speed makes it uniquely dangerous.
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“One of the most dangerous aspects is its rapid transmission,” Dr. Jorge P. Parada, a medical advisor at the National Pest Management Association in Chicago, told Fox News Digital.
“Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the infected tick bites, while Lyme disease usually requires a 36- to 48-hour attachment time for transmission.”
Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest. (iStock)
Parada noted that while Powassan remains rare compared to Lyme disease, it poses clinical concern.
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Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, confirmed that the virus transmits significantly faster than Lyme disease. He noted that Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest.
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Initial symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, though some infected individuals remain asymptomatic, according to the CDC.
There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus. (iStock)
The virus can progress to severe neurological complications, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord membranes).
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In severe cases, patients may experience confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking and seizures, per the CDC.
“One of the most dangerous aspects of it is its rapid transmission.”
Approximately 10% of Powassan cases involving severe neurological disease are fatal, and many survivors experience long-term neurological issues.
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There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus; clinical care is limited to supportive therapy, such as intravenous fluids and respiratory support.
While anyone can develop severe illness, those at the highest risk include children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals, experts caution.
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