In an outbreak, the best control measures are the early detection of cases and treatment of patients, coupled with health education.
Limit contact with people in the household with known diarrhoeal disease, isolating and usin their own toilet if possible. Limit contact with other people.
Practice good hand hygiene, especially after using the toilet and when preparing food.
Boil and treat water with household bleach.
There is a cholera vaccine mostly given in endemic countries to vulnerable populations and in outbreak situations. Currently not widely available or used in South Africa.
Hand washing is essential for all healthcare workers as well as the community.
To respond quickly to a cholera outbreak and prevent deaths, health facilities must have access to adequate quantities of essential supplies, particularly oral rehydration solution and intravenous fluids.
Provision of potable (treated) water and improved sanitation, as well as health education are necessary to prevent the spread of cholera in the community.