Scientists have mapped the genetic code of a strain of cholera responsible for a devastating increase in cases in 2022, in a breakthrough hailed as a major step forward in the fight against the disease.
The research combined machine learning, genomics, genome-scale metabolic modelling and 3D structural analysis to explain why vibrio cholera is evolving in ways that makes the diarrheal disease more severe and harder to control.
Researchers in Britain and Bangladesh analysed bacterial samples from cholera patients across six Bangladeshi regions, collected between 2015 and 2021, identifying a set of unique genes and mutations present in the 2022 outbreak, when global cases more than doubled to 472,697, according to figures from the World Health Organisation.
These genetic traits are linked to the bacteria’s ability to cause severe symptoms like prolonged diarrhoea, intense abdominal pain, vomiting and dehydration, which can lead to death in severe cases.
There are between 1.3 million and 4 million cases of cholera each year worldwide. The disease can kill in hours if untreated. About one in five people experiences severe symptoms, which require rapid treatment with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. In Bangladesh, where the research was conducted, cholera is a persistent danger, with more than 100,000 cases and 4,500 deaths a year.
“By identifying the key genetic factors that drive both the transmission and severity of cholera, we've taken a significant step towards developing more effective treatments and targeted interventions,” said Tania Dottorini from the University of Nottingham. “This could save thousands of lives, not just in Bangladesh, but globally.”
The study showed that some of these disease-causing traits overlap with those that help the bacteria spread more easily, demonstrating how genetic factors enable Vibrio cholerae to survive in the human intestine, making it more resilient to environmental stress and more efficient at causing disease. Researchers said the findings also highlight the complex interactions between the bacteria's genetic make-up and its ability to cause severe illness.
By identifying genetic factors that make Vibrio cholerae more dangerous, scientists can develop better treatments and more targeted strategies to control and prevent future outbreaks. “Our findings open the door to a new era of cholera research, where we can develop tools to predict and potentially prevent severe outbreaks before they occur,” said Dr Dottorini. “The ultimate goal is to translate these insights into real-world solutions that protect vulnerable populations."
The study, which was carried out in collaboration with Bangladesh’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research and North South University, was published in Nature Communications.
Cholera in Lebanon – in pictures
Vibrio cholera, the bacteria that causes cholera, usually lives in warm, salty waters, like estuaries and coastal areas. There are hundreds of strains, with only two serotypes known to cause outbreaks and epidemics.
It is not known when the first cholera outbreak occurred, but one of the first detailed written accounts described a large crop of cases in 1543 in the Ganges Delta, which killed victims within eight hours of developing symptoms. Locals struggled to bury all the dead due to the high fatality rate, according to reports.
The first cholera pandemic also emerged in the Ganges Delta in 1817, from contaminated rice. There have since been six other pandemics. The seventh originated in Indonesia in 1961 and still continues, affecting mainly less developed nations.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Results
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
