By Abbas Nazil
Four British nationals have contracted drug-resistant cholera after consuming holy water during a pilgrimage to a sacred site in Ethiopia, health officials have confirmed.
The incident, which has raised international health concerns, involved individuals aged between their 20s and 60s who visited the Bermel Giorgis site, a revered location known for its supposed healing waters.
Upon returning to the UK between January and mid-February this year, the travellers began experiencing severe symptoms consistent with cholera, including watery diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, three of the infected individuals required hospitalisation, with one needing intensive care for fluid resuscitation. Thankfully, all four have since made a full recovery.
The outbreak, however, has sparked warnings as similar cases have been reported in Germany, suggesting a wider international health risk associated with the site.
The cases were first highlighted by Eurosurveillance and have drawn attention to the ongoing cholera crisis in Ethiopia, where an outbreak that began in 2022 has already led to nearly 60,000 infections and 726 deaths, based on figures from Oxford.
Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal disease, is usually contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water and thrives in environments lacking proper sanitation infrastructure.
In Ethiopia, where nearly half of the 122 million population lacks access to safe drinking water, the risk of waterborne disease transmission remains high.
Despite the known risks, Bermel Giorgis continues to attract thousands of pilgrims from within and outside Ethiopia, many of whom consume or carry home the untreated holy water believed to hold spiritual and medicinal benefits.
The contaminated water from Bermel Giorgis has become a focal point in the ongoing struggle between spiritual beliefs and public health safety.
Devotees who travel to the site often do so in the belief that the water can cure ailments, leading to widespread consumption without prior testing or purification.
This practice, health experts warn, significantly increases the likelihood of waterborne disease transmission, especially in the absence of rigorous water treatment and public awareness.
Authorities have urged travellers to exercise caution when visiting regions with ongoing cholera outbreaks and to avoid consuming untreated water, regardless of cultural or religious significance.
The UK Health Security Agency has also advised healthcare providers to consider cholera in patients presenting with severe gastrointestinal symptoms following travel to Ethiopia.
The case underscores the urgent need for improved water safety, international collaboration on disease surveillance, and culturally sensitive public health interventions in pilgrimage destinations worldwide.
