Infection Control Guide for Family Members of Patients with Suspect or Confirmed Cholera
- Drink and use safe water
- Cook food thoroughly
- Wash hands with soap and safe water after caring for the patients, and especially after
handling fecal matter - Remove and wash any bedding or clothing that may have had contact with diarrheal
stool, preferably in a washing machine, in warm or hot water. Usual machine detergents
are sufficient; bleach is not necessary.
- Use a flush toilet or approved septic system; double bag soiled materials when discarding
in trash.
- Use any household disinfectant or a 1:10 dilution of bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9
parts water) to clean any area that may have contact with fecal matter, including the
patient’s bathroom, bedpan, as soon as possible after being soiled.
- When possible, use rubber gloves when cleaning any room or surface that may have had
contact with the patient’s fecal matter.
- Patients with cholera should not swim while ill with diarrhea or for 2 weeks after
resolution of symptoms.
- If a household member develops acute, watery diarrhea, administer oral rehydration
solution (ORS) and seek healthcare immediately
- While caring for persons who are ill with cholera, do not serve food or drink to persons
who are not household members
- Visitors can be allowed if the ill person wants company; visitors should also observe
hand hygiene recommendations
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov