[Cholera in Rio Grande do Norte State--Brazil: sorology and sensitivity of Vibrio cholerae to different antimicrobials].
OBJECTIVE
The emergence of multiple resistance to antimicrobials in Vibrio cholerae isolated in the state of Ceará, Brazil, alerted researchers in this area to the sensitivity to antimicrobials of strains isolated in Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil.


METHODS
One hundred and four strains of V. cholerae of human origin, isolated by Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública Dr. Almino Fernandes, were serologically typified and evaluated for in vitro sensitivity to eight antibiotics belonging to different groups (polymyxine, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, nitrofurantoin, sulphazotrin, pefloxacine, erythromycine, ampicillin). The strains were collected from patients suspected of contracting choleric diarrhea in the year 1999, in Natal/RN/Brazil.


RESULTS
From the sample total, 100 were identified as V. cholerae, serogroup O:1, biotype El Tor, with 99 (95.3%) belonging to serovar Ogawa and only 1 (0.9%) to serovar Inaba. The 4 remaining were characterized as non O:1 V. cholerae, with 3 (2.9%) biochemically identified as Heiberg type I and 1 (0.9%) as type II. All the V. cholerae serogroup O:1 strains were sensitive to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, sulphazotrin, pefloxacine, erythromycine and resistant to polymyxine. In relation to nitrofurantoin, only 1 was sensitive. Only 1 was resistant to ampicillin. The non O:1 V. cholerae strains were resistant to polymyxine.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed sensitivity in 100% of the V. cholerae serogroup O:1 strains to tetracycline, an elective drug in the treatment of cholera, and an absence of multiple resistant strains in our environment. An interesting finding was the frequency of serovar Ogawa in 1999, considering the greater incidence of serovar Inaba in other years of cholera outbreaks in RN.
de Melo
Ligia Maria Rodrigues
LM
Universidade Potiguar,UnP, Natal, RN. melolg@digi.com.br
Vieira
Regine Helena S Fernandes
RH
Hofer
Ernesto
E
Batista
Ana Lucia
AL
Almeida
Dulce
D
D000668:Ampicillin Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011113:Polymyxins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012703:Serotyping; D041241:Vibrio cholerae O1 / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044163:Vibrio cholerae non-O1 / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011113:Polymyxins