There are, though, several smart precautions travelers can take when traveling to any foreign country where cholera is found.

Here’s a list of some Caribbean countries and African countries that currently have cholera alerts.

Madoff recommends eating fresh fruit only if it’s peeled and avoiding raw vegetables and undercooked shellfish. “What travel doctors tell their patients is boil it, peel it, cook it, orforget it,” he says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking only bottled water or boiled water cooled to room temperature in countries with cholera epidemics. the CDC also recommends using sanitized water to brush your teeth, make ice, and to wash and prepare food. 

Also be sure to clean food preparation areas and kitchenware with soap and sanitized water; let them dry completely before reuse.

What you don’t need to do, says Madoff, is alter your travel plans to countries that have cholera. “I personally wouldn’t cancel a trip for that reason,” he says.

Also be alert to the development of a cholera-like illness; symptoms include watery diarrhea (that can look like cloudy rice water) and vomiting. and Madoff recommends seeking medical attention immediately to avoid severe dehydration that can “kill an adult in hours.”