The detection of a bacteria that cause cholera has been found in samples from softshell turtles at a wet market in Wuhan, sparking comparisons to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Local authorities have confirmed the presence of the pathogen has been disinfected, but locals have been left uneasy.
The news comes on the back of a university student contracting a cholera infection, but the two incidents are believed to be separate. While no human cholera case has been found among those individuals who came in contact with the reptiles, the store was ordered to shut down for three days.
Cholera is a illness that is spread through contaminated food and water and causes acute diarrhoea, with pregnant women and children particularly vulnerable. China classifies it as a Class A disease, the strongest designation, with its detection spurring an emergency response from health officials.
