A Study of Vibrio Cholerae Infection in Children

Hameed Mohamad Saeed, Basim

	A Study of Vibrio Cholerae Infection in Children
IRAQI JOURNALOF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
Article 1, Volume 21, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 18-23
Author
Basim Hameed Mohamad Saeed
Abstract
Objective: To study clinical presentation and antibiotics susceptibility pattern of Vibrio cholerae in children. Methods: Cases included in this study were 460 child aged from few days up to 12 years. These children were admitted to Central teaching hospital in June 2001 due to sudden onset of watery diarrhea that led to various degree of dehydration. Full examinations of each child were done to assess the degree of dehydration. Stool examinations were done macroscopically followed by culture of the stool in selective media for Vibrio then further identification by biochemical and serological test were done to confirm the diagnosis. Antibiotic susceptibility tests to different antibiotics were done to every case. Another stool samples were taken 7 days after starting treatment and cultured as well. Results: According to the degree of dehydration, these 460 patients were divided into 4 groups, of which 47.8% have sever dehydration, 40% have moderate dehydration, 9.1% have mild dehydration and only 3% are not dehydrated. On macroscopical stool examination 90% were watery in consistency and 2.6% contain blood and mucus. Out of these 460 cases having diarrhea, 160 cases (34.8%) were diagnosed as cholera cases, of which 54.4% are male and 45.6% are female. The percentage according to age of the patients were 16.3% <1 year of age, 62.5% of 1-5 years and 21.3% >5 years. Regarding residency of the patients, the highest percent were, from Al-Mahmoodyiah district (37.5%) followed by Abu-Graib district (20%). In addition to dehydration, 50% of the admitted cases have vomiting, 31% have fever which presented mainly in children below 5 years of age, 3% of the cases develop convulsion and 4.4% have stupor. Antibiotic susceptibility test were done using the following antibiotics with it’s percentage of sensitivity as fallow, Ampicillin (49.4%), Tetracycline (5%), Gentamycin (31.2%), Trimetheprim (68.8%), Erythromycin (38.7%) and Nalidixic acid (69.4%).Lastly 2nd culture and sensitivity test were done 7 days after the 1st one and noted that Vibrio cholerae were isolated from 20 patients (12.5%). Conclusion: Vibrio cholerae is one of the important causes of watery diarrhea that lead to sever dehydration and various complications if untreated. In children, the highest percent of the disease is in patients of 1-5 years of age with the highest percent were in people living in the periphery of Baghdad. Key word: Diarrhea, Vibrio.
Keywords
Diarrhea; Vibrio

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