The bacteria that causes cholera is evolving to become more resistant to drugs that treat the illness.
In Kenya, for example, strains with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase resistance — which are extremely drug resistant — made their first presence in the East African country just over a decade ago, Samuel Kariuki, eastern Africa director for the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, or DNDi, told an audience at a recent public health conference in Zambia.
These strains are more persistent in the environment than their predecessors and outbreaks hit when least expected, including during the dry season — which can come as a shock for a water-borne illness.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
