Should you be cancelling your holiday trip to Zimbabwe for fear of contracting cholera? Is it even safe to travel to the northern parts of South Africa these days?

While the tragic outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe has already claimed more than 3 000 lives and several cases of the disease have been reported in South Africa, the savvy and health-conscious tourist shouldn't be discouraged from travelling to affected areas.

This is not to suggest that you shouldn't take the situation very seriously - cholera is a life-threatening disease which has a mortality rate of 50 to 60 percent if left untreated.

But it's easy to avoid infection if you stick to some basic rules in the personal hygiene a as well as food and drink departments.

A disease of poverty

Cholera is an infectious, water-borne variety of gastroenteritis - a serious stomach bug to you and me - caused by a strain of bacteria called Vibrio cholerae.

It typically occurs in overpopulated and underdeveloped parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa where sanitation is poor and access to clean food and water limited.

How does it spread?

The disease is most frequently transmitted to humans through the ingestion of food and water contaminated with the cholera virus.

Since relatively large quantities of the bacteria have to be ingested, transfer from one person to the next is uncommon as long as direct contact with bodily fluids (especially feces and vomit) is avoided.

How to avoid cholera while travelling

● Use only clean, treated, filtered or boiled water for all your drinking, washing and cooking. Boil all water you're unsure about or sterilize it with chlorine or iodine tablets available from the pharmacy.

● In the kitchen: wash all raw food, eating and cooking utensils and your hands with clean water.

● Bottled water, fizzy drinks, as well as hot tea and coffee are safe. Boil unpasteurized milk before you use it. Nursing babies are immune through their mother's milk.

● Avoid ice cubes unless you're sure they were made using safe water.

● Make sure all food is freshly cooked and still hot when you eat it. Steer clear of undercooked or raw fish and shellfish, salads, food and beverages from street vendors and fruit you didn't peel yourself.

● Use only proper and clean toilet facilities. Always wash your hands with clean water afterwards.

● Don't swim in potentially contaminated rivers, lakes and dams.

What are the symptoms?

● A usually sudden onset of diarrhoea which often becomes severe quite quickly.

● Dehydration, tiredness, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.

● Nosebleeds, rapid pulse, dry or floppy skin and a hoarse voice.

Treatment

If you suspect that one of your travelling mates is infected, take them to a hospital as soon as possible to allow oral rehydration therapy.

In severe cases they'll need intravenous rehydration to replace the water and electrolytes lost through diarrhea.

Although a number of cholera vaccines are available, they offer only limited immunity from the disease and are not widely recommended at this time - consult your GP for details if you want to go this route.

In case you are far from a doctor or clinic, drink plenty of flat cola or a home-made rehydration drink: four to eight teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and the juice of an orange or lemon, all dissolved in a litre of water.

Seek medical assistance if the symptoms persist.

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