Clinical study on cholera patients in Babylon

Abstract EN

We made a clinical study on 52 patients with acute diarrhea illness during the Epidemic of Cholera that was anticipated in the city of Hilla, Babylon Governorate, during the years 1998 and 1999 and a plan was made to manage these cases.

During the period of epidemic any patient with acute diarrhea admitted to Merjan Teaching hospital, was screened by stool culture using alkaline sea water, TCBS media, confirmatory biochemical and serological tests using monovalent diagnostic antiserum of specific substrains including Ogawa, Inaba; any patient with negative culture excluded from the study.

The result of the study showed that 20% of cases were sever at presentation, also the complications of severe cases were described including metabolic acidosis, renal failure and hypotension and case fatality was 1.9%.

The study may conclude that : Cholera is still present in our country, the predominant strain 01, El-Tor, Ogawa.

Early planning to control dehydration & management of complications will greatly reduce mortality.