ICD10BillableValid for clinical use
ICD-10 Code A00.9: Cholera, unspecified
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 26 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes cholera. The most accurate code depends on whether the chart identifies Vibrio cholerae 01 biovar cholerae, Vibrio cholerae 01 biovar eltor, or leaves the cholera type unspecified.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents cholera, unspecified in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code can be used as a clinically usable diagnosis entry in standardized coding workflows.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Emergency, inpatient, infectious-disease, travel-medicine, public-health, and follow-up documentation where acute cholera or recent cholera treatment is part of the active assessment.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where strain detail changes final code specificity and where the chart distinguishes confirmed cholera from other causes of severe infectious diarrhea.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes assessment of profuse watery diarrhea, dehydration severity, travel or outbreak exposure history, stool-testing review, rapid fluid replacement planning, electrolyte monitoring, and public-health reporting context.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies the Vibrio cholerae strain rather than leaving cholera type unspecified.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Infectious Disease Specialist, General Physician.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- This ICD-10 family captures diagnosed cholera and is distinct from other bacterial or viral gastroenteritis because the specific Vibrio cholerae infection drives code selection.
- Strain detail matters across this branch, with biovar cholerae and biovar eltor coded separately from unspecified cholera.
- This title preserves cholera-type detail as unspecified; if the chart identifies Vibrio cholerae 01 biovar cholerae or biovar eltor more clearly, a more specific cholera code may be used.
- Documentation that describes cholera is coded differently from other infectious diarrhea, noninfectious gastroenteritis, or nonspecific dehydration because the diagnosed Vibrio cholerae infection drives final code selection.
Related codes to consider
A00.0Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar cholerae
Related cholera ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the Vibrio cholerae biovar instead of leaving cholera type unspecified.
A00.1Cholera due to Vibrio cholerae 01, biovar eltor
Related cholera ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the Vibrio cholerae biovar instead of leaving cholera type unspecified.
Code hierarchy
chapter
1Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
block
A00-A09Intestinal infectious diseases
category
A00Cholera
currentA00
Where you may see this code
You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records.
Related specialists
Infectious Disease SpecialistGeneral Physician
Related codes
Sibling codes
Coverage-related procedures and services
CPT 87505high
INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOGEN (EG, CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE, E. COLI, SALMONELLA, SHIGELLA, NOROVIRUS, GIARDIA), INCLUDES MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION, WHEN PERFORMED, AND MULTIPLEX AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, MULTIPLE TYPES OR SUBTYPES, 3-5 TARGETS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 87507high
INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOGEN (EG, CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE, E. COLI, SALMONELLA, SHIGELLA, NOROVIRUS, GIARDIA), INCLUDES MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION, WHEN PERFORMED, AND MULTIPLEX AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, MULTIPLE TYPES OR SUBTYPES, 12-25 TARGETS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 87506high
INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); GASTROINTESTINAL PATHOGEN (EG, CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE, E. COLI, SALMONELLA, SHIGELLA, NOROVIRUS, GIARDIA), INCLUDES MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION, WHEN PERFORMED, AND MULTIPLEX AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, MULTIPLE TYPES OR SUBTYPES, 6-11 TARGETS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
Mapped diagnoses and classifications
SNOMED_CT 63650001high
Cholera
Source: SNOMED International ICD-10 map
SNOMED_CT 240351004high
Cholera - O139 group Vibrio cholerae
Source: SNOMED International ICD-10 map
SNOMED_CT 240350003high
Cholera - non-O1 group vibrio
Source: SNOMED International ICD-10 map
SNOMED_CT 447282003high
Intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae O1
Source: SNOMED International ICD-10 map
SNOMED_CT 446672004high
Intestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae non-O139
Source: SNOMED International ICD-10 map
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy and official ICD code match exactly.
Legacy codes
A00.9
Common synonyms
Cholera, unspecifiedCholera
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.