Cholera Outbreak Traced to Holy Water From Ethiopia

A sacred pilgrimage ended up in the toilet for several travelers earlier this year. Health officials in Europe have reported an outbreak of superbug cholera traced back to tainted holy water sourced from Ethiopia. Health officials in Germany and the UK detailed the strange outbreak in a report published Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance. At least seven people across both countries were sickened with a multidrug-resistant cholera strain that originated from the Bermel Georgis holy well in Ethiopia. Though several people were hospitalized and some even required intensive care, all of the victims thankfully survived. Cholera is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. Though many people infected by cholera bacteria don’t become sick, the infection can sometimes cause severe, even life-threatening diarrhea and vomiting. Improved sanitation has greatly reduced the threat of cholera over time, but it still sickens millions of people a year, and anywhere between 21,000 and 143,000 peo ... Read full article.