How is cholera diagnosed?

How is cholera diagnosed?

To test for cholera, a healthcare provider will need a sample of your stool. Often, you will poop into a collection cup or bag. Sometimes, a healthcare provider will insert a swab into your rectum (opening where poop comes out).

The sample gets sent to a laboratory, where experts will look at it under a microscope to identify the bacterium V. cholera. Some areas where cholera is more common have access to a “dipstick” tool that can rapidly test a stool sample.