Holy water brought from Ethiopia causes cholera cases in Europe
German and British tourists brought back holy water from a sacred well from Ethiopia. Upon their return to Europe, they developed symptoms characteristic of cholera. It was only after their hospitalization that scientists were able to trace the source of their infection.
Four people infected in the UK and three in Germany. Two small cholera outbreaks were discovered in Europe in February and March, reports The Times . Experts from the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) and the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's leading epidemiological center, have managed to trace the disease back to Ethiopia.
According to the findings of their study, published on April 10 in the scientific journal Eurosurveillance , the infections were caused by the consumption or use for various rituals of contaminated holy water. This water was allegedly drawn from the sacred well of Bermel Giorgis, located in the Amhara region of northwest Ethiopia, not far from the Sudanese border.
Known as tsebel in the Amharic language, it is believed to have miraculous properties, so much so that this water is used in immersion baptisms. “The holy well is a place of pilgrimage that attracts visitors from all over the world and where several rituals are performed, including ablutions with holy water […]. It is either drunk or bathed in to heal body and mind,” the authors of the study note.
Water, which was not sold on site,
Courrier International
