The news of cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe reminds me of reading The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson’s gripping account of the discovery of the causes of cholera in London in the 19th century. This was my review of it in the FT.

It seems improbable now that there could be cholera in Soho in the middle of London, but an outbreak there in 1854 led to the proof that the deadly illness was caused by drinking sewage-infected water.

It followed that cholera was entirely preventable, given clean drinking water. But the public water systems are breaking down in Zimbabwe, which marks a further downward step in that country’s deterioration under Robert Mugabe.

Update: As Derek Tunnicliffe notes in the comments below, cholera prevention is one of the aims of WaterAid, the charity the FT is supporting in its seasonal appeal this year. There is an article describing its work here.

December 2, 2008 6:32pm in Cities | Comment