Cholera cluster in Europe linked to people drinking bottles of holy water
a year ago
- #holy water
- #public health
- #cholera
- European tourists brought holy water from Ethiopia and got cholera.
- Three people in Germany and four in the UK fell ill; two needed intensive care.
- The infections occurred after trips to Ethiopia, with visits to the Bermel Giorgis holy well.
- The well is in an area with a cholera outbreak and armed conflict, complicating public health efforts.
- Holy water use is deeply rooted in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, increasing risk of further cases.
- Cholera requires exposure to a high dose of Vibrio cholerae, indicating the well's contamination is severe.