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Laboratory Techniques Used to Maintain and Differentiate Biotypes of Vibrio cholerae Clinical and Environmental Isolates
Published on: May 30, 2017
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Evolution of pandemic cholera at its global source
Amber Barton1, Mokibul Hassan Afrad2, Alyce Taylor-Brown3
1Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK. ab61@sanger.ac.uk.
Nature
|April 1, 2026
Summary
The Ganges Basin, not the Delta, is the likely origin of global cholera pandemics. National borders, not hydrology, influenced Vibrio cholerae evolution, with phage defense systems impacting disease spread.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Genomics
Background:
- The seventh cholera pandemic, driven by Vibrio cholerae El Tor lineage, originated from the Bay of Bengal.
- The specific roles of the Ganges Delta and Basin in seeding global pandemic waves remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct evolutionary paths of Vibrio cholerae in Bangladesh and India.
- To determine the geographical origin and factors influencing the spread of cholera pandemic waves.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis of Vibrio cholerae strains from Bangladesh and India over 20 years.
- Phylogenetic analysis to trace evolutionary divergence and identify genetic elements associated with virulence and transmission.
Main Results:
- Vibrio cholerae in Bangladesh and India evolved largely separately, constrained by national borders rather than hydrological features.
- Evolution in Bangladesh involved rapid gene gain/loss, particularly in phage defense systems, linked to increased disease severity and transmission.
- A 2018 lineage replacement in Bangladesh coincided with changes in phage defense and lytic phage ICP1.
Conclusions:
- The Ganges Basin, spanning Bangladesh and Northern India, is the probable global launchpad for cholera pandemics, shifting focus from the Ganges Delta.
- National borders significantly influenced Vibrio cholerae evolution, and phage defense mechanisms play a crucial role in pandemic lineage dynamics and control.
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