A 4-Year Study of the Epidemiology of Vibrio Cholerae in Four Rural Areas of Bangladesh

TitleA 4-Year Study of the Epidemiology of Vibrio Cholerae in Four Rural Areas of Bangladesh
Publication TypeJournal Articles
Year of Publication2003
AuthorsR. Sack B, A. Siddique K, Longini IM, Nizam A, Yunus M, M. Islam S, Morris, Ali A, Huq A, G. Nair B, Qadri F, Faruque SM, Sack DA, Colwell RR
JournalJournal of Infectious DiseasesJ Infect Dis.Journal of Infectious DiseasesJ Infect Dis.
Volume187
Type of Article10.1086/345865
ISBN Number0022-1899, 1537-6613
Abstract

How Vibrio cholerae spreads around the world and what determines its seasonal peaks in endemic areas are not known. These features of cholera have been hypothesized to be primarily the result of environmental factors associated with aquatic habitats that can now be identified. Since 1997, fortnightly surveillance in 4 widely separated geographic locations in Bangladesh has been performed to identify patients with cholera and to collect environmental data. A total of 5670 patients (53% <5 years of age) have been studied; 14.3% had cholera (10.4% due to V. cholerae O1 El Tor, 3.8% due to O139). Both serogroups were found in all locations; outbreaks were seasonal and often occurred simultaneously. Water-use patterns showed that bathing and washing clothes in tube-well water was significantly protective in two of the sites. These data will be correlated with environmental factors, to develop a model for prediction of cholera outbreaks