Why can Vibrio cholerae survive for long periods in aquatic environments?

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A woman in a pink dress receives medical treatment from nurses administering an IV at a crowded hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti. — cholera A woman with cholera being treated by nurses at St. Nicholas Hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti, 2010.

The ability of Vibrio cholerae to survive for extended periods in aquatic environments is primarily a characteristic of the El Tor biotype. While the classical biotype was responsible for earlier pandemics, the El Tor biotype is considered a much hardier organism, which allows it to persist in water and contribute to the ongoing seventh pandemic.1

Vibrio cholerae is a water-dwelling bacterium that functions as the archetype of waterborne illnesses. It typically spreads through the fecal-oral route, often contaminating water sources that are subsequently ingested or used to irrigate and wash food, such as shellfish and produce. Once ingested, the bacteria colonize the intestine and release an enterotoxin that causes severe fluid and electrolyte loss.1