title: Serologic studies of naturally acquired infection with Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 in the United States.
abstract: The discovery of 11 persons infected with Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 (biotype El Tor, serotype Inaba) in southwestern Louisiana in 1978 provided an opportunity to evaluate the serologic response to this agent in North Americans with naturally acquired infection. One antibacterial assay (vibriocidal assay) and two antitoxin assays (enzyme linked immunosorbent assays [ELISA] and rabbit skin permeability factor assay) were used. Antitoxin levels were elevated longer than vibriocidal antibody levels, and asymptomatic infected persons had levels of antitoxin and vibriocidal antibody levels, and asymptomatic infected persons had levels of antitoxin and vibriocidal antibody as high as those of persons with clinical cholera. With use of serologic criteria derived from these studies, one additional person infected with V. cholerae O1 was discovered, and a relatively low (4%-7%) prevalence rate of elevated levels of vibriocidal antibody and antitoxin was found in a serum survey of a community with several known cases. Comparison of the results from the ELISA and the rabbit skin permeability factor assay demonstrated similar rates of elevated levels of antitoxin, but the ELISA required less time and less serum per sample analyzed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000992:Antitoxins / Q000032:analysis; D002771:Cholera / Q000276:immunology*; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000992:Antitoxins; D002772:Cholera Toxin