They were looking for spiritual purification, they found a formidable virus. European pilgrims returned from a Sacred Ethiopian well were struck by a violent cholera infection, reports the ARS Technica online media. In February 2025, three people in Germany and four in the United Kingdom were infected after drinking or having sprayed their face with the water of a saint of Ethiopia called the Giorgis bermel.
The latter is considered a place of healing by the members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Tewahedo. Two patients were placed in intensive care. According to the Eurosurveillance Journal, everyone finally got out, but the danger persists.
The well is in a region affected by a cholera epidemic, aggravated by a context of armed conflict. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control warns that “New cases can continue to appear until the source of contamination in the well has been treated”. Many travelers leave with bottles of holy water and multiply the chances of new foci of infection all over the world.
The cholera is transmitted by water or by contaminated foods. To catch it, a person must be exposed to a large dose of Vibrio choleraethe bacteria responsible for the disease. In this case, tests have shown that holy water contained an impressive amount of V. Cholerae O1capable of resisting transport to Europe.
A resistant and global scourge
Spotted in several households in East Africa and the center, the strain in question is particularly resistant to treatments and survives many antibiotics. Only tetracycline is deemed effective at the moment, even if cases of resistance to this drug have also been reported.
To avoid spreading, health authorities call on travelers to redouble vigilance abroad and especially not to consume uncontrolled food and water, even if it is “sacred”. For their part, health professionals must prepare for the possibility of cholera cases from Ethiopia.
From the pandemic, cholera cases have exploded in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) alerts the need to invest in access to drinking water, hygiene and prevention. Adapted devices, such as the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (Wash) promoting public health, remain essential, especially in the most fragile countries.
