17. Additional cholera pandemics occurred into the 21st century
Cholera epidemics continued through the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. In 2010, the World Health Organization declared a cholera pandemic in effect which continues, though the disease is rare in developed nations. It continued to appear in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and in isolated nations around the globe. Cholera frequently appeared following other natural disasters which affected the water supply, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and of course the man-made disaster of war. It is nearly always associated with water contaminated with human fecal matter, though it is also caused by uncooked seafood, or poor personal hygiene habits among those preparing food and beverages.
Cholera kills through the effects of dehydration and fever. In areas where the water is contaminated death is almost assured unless access to clean water is available. In areas with disrupted drinking water systems, drinking contaminated water simply hastens the progress of the disease. During the first decade of the 21st century alone, cholera epidemics killed in South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Senegal, Angola, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and several other countries. In the following decade cholera killed more than 10,000 people in Haiti alone, and nearly 4,000 in Yemen.