Vibrio cholerae O1 bacteremia in Pakistan: analysis of eight cases

Jabeen, Kauser; Siddiqui, Jaweriah; Zafar, Afia; Shakoor, Sadia; Ali, Natasha; Zaidi, Anita K.M.

doi:10.1016/j.trstmh.2010.04.004

« Previous Next »Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104, Issue 8 , Pages 563-565, August 2010

Vibrio cholerae O1 bacteremia in Pakistan: analysis of eight cases

Kauser Jabeen
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +92 21 4864530; fax: +92 21 4934294.
Jaweriah Siddiqui
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
Afia Zafar
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
Sadia Shakoor
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
Natasha Ali
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
Anita K.M. Zaidi
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan

Received 24 July 2009; received in revised form 30 April 2010; accepted 30 April 2010.

Abstract

Bacteremia caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 has been a rare phenomenon. We report on eight cases of V. cholerae O1 bacteremia from Pakistan which occurred during 1992–2008. Six of the cases were seen in children (two neonates and four infants) and seven of the eight patients were female. Urogenital malignancy, hepatitis B virus-associated end-stage liver disease, concurrent Campylobacter enteritis and prematurity were the underlying conditions in four patients. Two of the eight patients died and one was lost to follow up and this outcome may be due to prior immunity leading to less severe illness.

Keywords: Cholera, Vibrio cholerae O1, Gastroenterology, Bacteremia, Ceftriaxone, Pakistan