Frequency of V. cholerae in Babylon province

Abstract EN

Background : Cholera is a severe and sometimes lethal human diarrheal disease caused by the non-invasive gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

In the last decades, there is change in the disease epidemiology specially in the risky group and till now there is difficulty in preparation of effective vaccination programs.

Aim of study : to study the epidemiology together with the virulent factors in hope of future effective vaccine preparation and also to assess the ability of introduction of helpful laboratory monitoring parameter to assess the clinical disease.

Materials and Methods : in this study, a total of 21550 patients who complained of diarrheal disease of whatever cause during 1 / 8-31 / 12 / 2008 were enrolled and majority consulted Primary Health Care Centers or admitted to hospitals.

Stool samples were taken and transported with Cary & Blair transport medium for culturing on specific media and further identifications.

All isolates were proved to be vibrio cholerae in Central Public Health Laboratory, Baghdad.

Epidemiological parameters were studied in addition to virulent factors (haemagglutinin, TCP(to study autoagglutination) and protease (to assess disease dissemination).

Results : this study showed that the incidence of Vibrio Cholerae in Babylon province was (1.07 %).

The commonly affected age group by Vibrio Cholerae was (1-5 years) (53.08 %).

The only detectable serotype of this pathogen was Vibrio Cholerae O1, biotype El Tor, serotype Inaba.

Autoagglutination were (mild : 12.75 % ; moderate ; 21.81 % and high : 65.43 %) while haemagglutination was (74.19 %, 92.45 % and 96.85 %) in isolates which showed mild, moderate and high autoagglutination respectively.

Protease was raised in those with late severe cholera in comparison to early mild cholera.

Conclusions : Re-emergence of cholera is highly anticipated.

V.

cholera have a major virulent colonization factors in those with severe cases and less in mild cases.

Live attenuating vaccine against major colonization factor through artificial mutation to gene of interest might be preperared through use of virulent factor gene as target in future.

Protease might be helpful as a laboratory monitoring parameter to assess cholera severity and dissemination.