The Salt Lake County Health Department has sent tests to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as two people in Utah may have cholera, according to a report from The Salt Lake Tribune. If confirmed, these would be the first cholera cases in Utah since 1993, according to the report.
Here are five things to know about cholera, taken from the CDC.
1. Cholera is cased by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and is an acute, diarrheal illness that is rare in the United States.
2. Nearly all of the cases reported in the U.S. in recent years have been acquired during international travel.
3. People get cholera by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium.
4. The illness is usually mild or without symptoms but it can become severe or life threatening. About 5 percent to 10 percent of infected people will develop severe cholera and need treatment at a health center.
5. Severe cholera can be treated with rehydration therapy, antibiotic treatment or zinc treatment.