A highly virulent and deadly form of cholera strain — the El Tol hybrid — has now been found in India. First discovered in Bangladesh in 2006 and subsequently found in parts of Africa, this recombinant strain is more dangerous than all its predecessors, with the power to kill more people and cause prolonged outbreaks.
Scientists at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) in Kolkata fear that almost 100% of all new cholera infections in West Bengal and Orissa are being caused by this “new bad boy”.
“The hybrid strain presently found in Bangladesh, Mozambique and now in India is a combination of both the previous strains. The dehydration caused by cholera is extremely severe when infected with the El Tol hybrid and hence mortality rates are higher,” Dr Ghosh said.
The most severe warning about the risks of the El Tol hybrid, however, came from Dr Nair. According to him, the classical strain was more virulent and less infectious while El Tol was less virulent and more infectious. “The El Tol hybrid has picked up both attributes and is more virulent and more infectious,” Dr Nair said.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It has a short incubation period, from two hours to five days, and produces an enterotoxin that causes a painless, watery diarrhoea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given.
About 75% of people infected with cholera do not develop any symptoms. However, the pathogens stay in their faeces for 7-14 days and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other individuals.
