title: Fatal bacteremia due to immotile Vibrio cholerae serogroup O21 in Vientiane, Laos - a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human infections with non-O1, non-O139 V. cholerae have been described from Laos. Elsewhere, non cholera-toxin producing, non-O1, non-O139 V. cholerae have been described from blood cultures and ascitic fluid, although they are exceedingly rare isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a farmer who died with Vibrio cholerae O21 bacteremia and peritonitis in Vientiane, Laos, after eating partially cooked apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) and mussels (Ligumia species). The cultured V. cholerae were non-motile. PCR detected ompW and toxR gene regions but not the ctxA, ompU, omp K and TCP gene regions. Although the organisms lacked flagellae on scanning electron microscopy, they possessed the Vibrio flagellin flaA gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe bacteremic non-O1, non-O139 V. cholerae is reported from Laos. The organisms were unusual in being non-motile. They possessed the Vibrio flagellin flaA gene. Further research to determine the reasons for the non-motility and virulence is required.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PD. rphetsouvanh@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Rattanaphone
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Phetsouvanh
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsu
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Viengmone
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Davong
authors.forename: Manivanh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vongsouvath
authors.forename: Olay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lattana
authors.forename: Catrin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D002771:Cholera / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005407:Flagella / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos; D008124:Locomotion; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial