Infectious Diseases Resource Hub

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. As stated in the WHO cholera fact sheet, access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is essential to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases. Most people with the disease have mild or moderate symptoms. A minority of patients develop severe acute watery diarrhoea and life-threatening dehydration (the loss of water and salts from the body).

It can be difficult to differentiate between a child with dehydration (from acute watery diarrhea, AWD/cholera) and one with severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

Cholera severely impacts nutrition by causing rapid loss of fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients through acute watery diarrhea, leading to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and weight loss. It damages the gut lining, reducing nutrient absorption, while illness-related appetite loss and feeding interruptions worsen nutritional status, especially in young children. 

Malnourished individuals are more vulnerable to cholera and face higher risks of complications and death. To break this vicious cycle, an integrated approach is essential—combining cholera treatment with nutrition support, continued feeding, and hygiene promotion to support recovery and prevent further deterioration.

General Guidance

• The global strategy for cholera control aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% and to eliminate the disease in 20 countries by 2030. One can learn more on the Global Taskforce on Cholera Control website that also features lots of resources on cholera.
• The WHO has a cholera outbreak tool box with useful resources as well.

Nutrition-related and relevant resources

• MSF guidelines on cholera case management, chapter cholera and acute malnutrition
• FAQs: Breastfeeding in the context of cholera – information for health workers by the IFE Core Group
• Questions fréquentes: L’allaitement dans le contexte d’une épidémie de choléra – informations pour les agents de santé

Other useful links

• Global Health and Wash Clusters joint operational framework for multisector cholera preparedness and response at times of humanitarian crisis
• ACF operational cholera toolkit
• World Bank brief on Improving Maternal and Children Health Care at times of Cholera (based on Haiti experience)

At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance and resources were developed to assist Nutrition in Emergencies (NiE) practitioners and coordination teams with integrating COVID-19 preparedness and response into humanitarian nutrition interventions. This page includes recommendations for nutrition coordination, information management, and programming that remain valuable during public health emergencies.

Marburg virus disease (MVD) and Ebola disease (EBOD) are severe, often fatal illnesses caused by viruses from the Filoviridae family. Both diseases are zoonotic, with fruit bats believed to be their natural hosts, and they are transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or bodily fluids of infected individuals. The symptoms of MVD and EBOD are similar, including sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and in many cases, internal and external bleeding. These diseases have high case fatality rates and have caused several outbreaks. There are currently no specific treatments, but supportive care and experimental vaccines and therapies have shown promise in reducing mortality.

Ebola disease (EBOD) is caused by viruses that belong to the Orthoebolavirus genus of the filoviridae family. Six species of Orthoebolaviruses have been identified to date, with three known to cause large outbreaks:

1. Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), causing Ebola virus disease (EVD)

2. Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), causing Sudan virus disease (SVD)

3. Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), causing Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD). While there are licensed vaccines and therapeutics for Ebola virus disease, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for other Ebola diseases, such as SVD or BVD.

During outbreaks like MVD and EBOD, nutrition can quickly deteriorate—especially for vulnerable groups. Below are several ways we can help protect and support affected communities.

General Guidance

• Keep Nutrition Services Running – Ensure outpatient nutrition programs continue safely with trained staff and proper infection control. Adapt and maintain services such as breastfeeding support, treatment of wasting, and micronutrient supplementation, using infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to keep staff and beneficiaries safe. Use mobile teams to reach isolated areas.
• Promote and protect infant and young child feeding (IYCF) – Reinforce messaging on exclusive breastfeeding, safe complementary feeding, and discourage the use of breastmilk substitutes unless medically indicated, with strict adherence to safe preparation practices. Where breastfeeding isn’t possible, provide safe alternatives.
• Strengthen food security and social protection – Ensure vulnerable households have access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food, through food assistance, cash transfers, or vouchers, especially when movement restrictions or fear of infection limit market access or income. Support home gardens and local food production when and where possible.
• Integrate nutrition into outbreak response plans – Collaborate across health, WASH, and food security sectors to ensure nutrition is considered in surveillance, risk communication, and service delivery strategies.
• Train and equip frontline workers – Provide training on safe service delivery during outbreaks, and ensure availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and IPC supplies. Train health workers to screen for malnutrition during case follow-ups. Include nutrition indicators in emergency response tracking.
• Monitor nutrition status and vulnerabilities – Use remote or adapted surveillance tools to track changes in nutritional status, food security, and service coverage, enabling timely course corrections.
• Engage and Inform Communities – Share clear messages about safe feeding, hygiene, and nutrition using trusted voices and local languages—via radio, SMS, or posters.

Nutrition-related and relevant resources

• WHO 2020 - Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease, available in English and French.
• GNC FAQ: series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) available both in English and French on the provision of nutritional care for patients with Ebola Virus Disease in Ebola treatment units. These FAQs could be relevant to other infectious diseases with clinical syndromes similar to Ebola that are managed in isolation facilities, particularly diseases caused by other filovirus’ such as Marburg and Lassa.
• DRC case study (GNC, UNICEF, WVI, IMC, ENN) with focus on support for non-breastfed children in the context of Ebola available in English; there a resource on similar topic in French only here
• Template for a joint statement on infant feeding in the context of Marburg virus disease
• Supporting non-breastfed children as part of an Ebola Response: Experiences from the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Case Study
• 2026 Ebola Outbreak: Mobility and Health System Vulnerabilities in Eastern DRC and Bordering Areas - a comprehensive brief developed by REACH.
• Joint Statement Template on Infant and Young Child Feeding in BVD Contexts - Available in English & French.

Open online courses/webinars

• E-learning course: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies during Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Find comprehensive information on Mpox and nutrition in emergencies here. Stay updated on the ongoing multi-country Mpox outbreak, which remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

We will update this page when and as necessary.