title: A cholera epidemic in a rural area of northeast India.
abstract: Sporadic cases of acute diarrhoea with high morbidity occur commonly in rural areas of northeast India, throughout the year. At times they take epidemic form and one such outbreak occurred with attack and case fatality rates of 11.6% and 0.8%, respectively, in October 2002, in a remote locality of Assam. Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor Ogawa was isolated in 63% of hospitalized acute diarrhoea patients. Ineffective antibacterial treatment, poor hygiene practices and bad peridomestic sanitation were the factors associated with the persistence and spread of the pathogen, leading to the outbreak of cholera, resistant to commonly-used antimicrobials.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, Regional Medical Research Centre, North East Region, (Indian Council of Medical Research), Dibrugarh, Post Box No. 105, Pin: 786001, Assam, India.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Phukan
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Borah
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahanta
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D002771:Cholera / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012423:Rural Health; D041241:Vibrio cholerae O1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents