Cholera alert for Asia, Africa travelers

Travelers to Asian and African countries should take extra care against contracting cholera, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday, as the first cholera patient this year was reported a day earlier.

Quarantine officials of Incheon International Airport said a tourist who had traveled to Deli and Varanasi of India between July 2-8 was detected with cholerae 01 Ogawa in his stool sample. The authorities have collected stool specimens from 10 other people who visited the region during the same period.

The KCDC advised people to wash their hands after visiting the bathroom; drink safe water including bottled or boiled water, refrain from eating raw seafood, and report to the quarantine officer if diarrhea and other abnormalities are detected.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)