Diseases — Cholera

Overview

Cholera is a bacterial infection in DayZ caused by consuming contaminated water or food handled with bloody hands. It causes rapid vomiting and dehydration, often leading to death if not treated promptly with specific medication.

How It Works

The infection occurs when you drink from non-disinfected water sources (wells are safe, but ponds, rivers, and bottles found in the world are not) or handle food after touching raw meat without washing your hands. Once contracted, the "Cholera" icon will appear in your status effects. Your health and water levels will deplete rapidly. The infection persists until you neutralize it with antibiotics or your immune system overcomes it through high hydration and energy levels.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Identify the source of the infection and stop consuming from it immediately.
2. Consume one Tetracycline antibiotic pill and wait for the pill icon to disappear from your HUD before taking another.
3. Keep your food and water levels in the white (saturated) zone at all times to boost your immune system.
4. Avoid any physical exertion that lowers your health, as the constant vomiting will cause significant water loss.
5. If the infection persists, continue taking Tetracycline pills one at a time until the sickness icon vanishes.

Tips

• Always use a Chlorine tablet or a fireplace to boil water from ponds or bottles before drinking.
• Wells found in towns are the only safe natural water sources and do not require purification.
• If you have no medicine, keep your food and water bars completely full to allow your character's natural immunity to fight the infection.
• Wash your hands at a water source after skinning animals to prevent "bloody hands" infection, which mimics Cholera symptoms.
• Disinfect your water bottles or canteens with Chlorine tablets even if you found them "full" in a loot spawn.

Common Mistakes

• Taking multiple Tetracycline pills at once; the game only processes one active antibiotic effect at a time, wasting the rest.
• Assuming water found in a spawn is safe to drink; always empty and refill or disinfect it first.
• Eating or drinking while still vomiting; this immediately resets your stomach content and wastes resources.
• Ignoring the sickness icon until your health is low; Cholera dehydrates you faster than you can scavenge for food.

Related Items

• Tetracyclineantibiotics
• Vitaminbottle
• Chlorine tablets
• Water bottle
• Canteen

Related Guides

• Water Purification
• Food and Hunger Management
• Sickness and Immunity Systems