The child's sample is currently being analyzed at the board's infectious diseases lab.

Cholera has not been recorded in Estonia for over 30 years.

The child was admitted to a hospital in Tallinn at the start of the week, exhibiting symptoms which could indicate cholera or other gastrointestinal infections.

More precise analysis results are expected in the latter half of the week, according to the Health Board (Terviseamet).

Kärt Sõber, head of the board's infectious diseases epidemiology department, explained that the child, who initially tested positive for cholera, was abroad with their family.

This means there is no risk of domestic spread, the board says.

The child developed a fever at the end of last week, followed by diarrhea a few days later. The family had returned to Tallinn by plane, and one of the parents took the sick child to the hospital, where they were placed in an isolation ward.

Another child from the same family who developed similar symptoms was hospitalized Tuesday, and is in isolation, along with other family members.

While an initial PCR test indicates the presence of cholera, it is not yet known which serogroup type it is, or what the level of toxicity is. The confirmatory analysis result from the sample sent to the Health Board's laboratory is expected on Thursday.

The Health Board said it has conducted an epidemiological investigation and currently assesses the likelihood of further transmission to be low, since the family's contact with others had been minimal.

The Health Board has informed the Estonian Association of Family Doctors (Eesti Perearstide Selts) and also hospitals about the incident.

The agency has also notified the airline which the family used to travel back to Estonia, and other relevant states. The airline in turn is informing passengers of potential exposure to the infected individual.

The risk to airline passengers is considered low, however, because cholera does not spread through the air but through contaminated surfaces, such as restrooms, if previously used by an infected person.

The Health Board advises passengers notified to monitor their health for a five-day period, and to follow hygiene rules diligently, especially when it comes to handwashing.

The last cholera case in Estonia was recorded in 1993, and had also been brought in from overseas.

Cholera is considered a dangerous infectious disease with an incubation period of one to five days, and most usually two to three days.

Up to 70 percent of infected individuals experience only mild symptoms or none at all, and risk depends on whether a toxic variant is present.

More serious symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and fluid loss, which can lead to a drop in body temperature and blood pressure, and may cause cramps.

The illness can also cause muscle weakness and heart rhythm disturbances.

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