Scientists at the National Reference Center for Vibrios and Cholera, affiliated with the Institut Pasteur, have made alarming discoveries regarding a new cholera strain that displays significant antibiotic resistance.
Their findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
This research was conducted in collaboration with the Centre hospitalier de Mayotte, deepening concerns about global health safety.
Understanding Cholera
Cholera is a serious diarrheal disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
Left untreated, it can lead to death within hours, particularly in severe cases.
The primary approach to managing this illness focuses on promptly rehydrating affected individuals to restore lost fluids and electrolytes.
Equally important are antibiotics, which play a crucial role in reducing the duration of the disease and halting transmission.
The Emergence of Antibiotic Resistance
This newly identified strain exhibits resistance to ten different antibiotics.
This includes azithromycin and ciprofloxacin, both of which are among the top three treatments recommended for cholera.
The strain first emerged during a cholera outbreak in Yemen from 2018 to 2019.
Thanks to ongoing genomic analysis, researchers have been able to trace this antibiotic-resistant strain as it spreads beyond Yemen.
After its initial detection, the strain appeared in Lebanon in 2022 and then in Kenya in 2023.
Most recently, it was found in Tanzania and the Comoros Islands, including Mayotte, a French territory located off Africa’s southeastern coast.
Between March and July of that year, Mayotte suffered an outbreak with 221 cases linked to this highly resistant strain.
The Call for Global Monitoring
These findings highlight an urgent need for enhanced global monitoring of cholera pathogens, particularly concerning their antibiotic resistance.
Researchers are particularly worried about the possibility of this strain developing further resistance to tetracycline, which could critically limit treatment options involving oral antibiotics.
Professor François-Xavier Weill, the study’s lead author and head of the Vibrios CNR at the Institut Pasteur, emphasizes the immediate need to address these developments to protect public health.
Source: Science Daily