Bottles of "Holy Water" Contaminated With Cholera Send European Tourists to the ICU

Researchers are warning that bottles of "holy water" from a well in Ethiopia could be laced with dangerous bacteria that could cause cholera.

As detailed in a new report published in the journal Eurosurveillance and spotted by Ars Technica, three German and four British tourists developed a nasty case of cholera, a bacterial disease spread through contaminated water and food, after drinking or splashing their face with holy water from plastic bottles they had brought back to Europe after visiting the Quara district of Ethiopia.

The bottles of holy water were absolutely teeming with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, per the report, with an estimated 100,000 to 100 million "colony forming units," which allowed the bacteria to remain "viable at ambient temperature during the flight and in Europe."

Two of the tourists required intensive care, but all eventually recovered from the unfortunate ordeal.

Per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cholera can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and in extreme cases death, if it goes untreated. Infection can be prevented by washing hands with soap, drinking treated water, and getting vaccinated against cholera.

The water was taken from a "holy well" called "Bermel Giorgis," near the border between Ethiopia and Sudan. The local Orthodox church claims the well is a revered holy site that "offers an unparalleled spiritual experience where visitors often gain clarity, healing, and a deeper connection to faith," according to a travel website.

But considering the nasty bacterial infection the tourists experienced, drinking the well's water appears to have some less-than-angelic side effects as well.

And according to a bulletin by the CDC published last month, more visitors could be at risk.

"Travellers to Ethiopia intending to visit the well, as well as friends and family who may be gifted bottles of water from the well, remain at risk until the source of contamination has been addressed," the bulletin reads.

Complicating matters is an ongoing armed conflict in the area, which could render "interventions to address the source of contamination currently challenging," per the CDC.

Worse yet, cholera deaths are back on the rise, according to the World Health Organization. The number of reported cases increased by 13 percent and deaths by 71 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. Over 4,000 people died from the disease in 2023, despite the widespread availability of highly effective treatments.

And the Trump administration's massive cuts to USAID have already made it more difficult for vulnerable people worldwide to access treatment for cholera.

As Al Jazeera reported this week, eight people, including five children, died in South Sudan after walking for three hours in extreme heat to seek treatment for the disease. Their local USAID health facilities were forced to close due to the agency's budget cuts.

More on cholera: “Zombie” Deer Disease Could Spread to Humans, Experts Warn

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