Evolution of pandemic cholera at its global source - PubMed
18 hours ago
- #vibrio-cholerae-evolution
- #phage-defense
- #cholera-pandemic
- The seventh cholera pandemic originated from three global waves emerging from the Bay of Bengal, but the specific roles of the Ganges Delta and Basin were unclear.
- Vibrio cholerae in Bangladesh and India has evolved separately over 20 years, influenced more by national borders than hydrological features like the Ganges Delta and Basin.
- Evolution in Bangladesh involved rapid gene and mobile genetic element changes, especially in phage defense systems, with losses linked to increased severe disease risk and transmission outside the country.
- A lineage replacement in Bangladesh in 2018 altered phage defense systems, leading to rapid changes in the lytic phage ICP1's lineage and anti-defense mechanisms.
- The Ganges Basin, spanning Bangladesh and Northern India, likely serves as a global launch pad for pandemic cholera, shifting the perception of Bangladesh as the sole source.
- Phage interactions may play a key role in controlling the spread of cholera lineages during the current seventh pandemic.