'Gastro' of Mirpur Khas (Sindh) is resolved.
BACKGROUND
Diarrhoeal disease is a common cause of major public health concern in many parts of the world including Pakistan.


METHODS
Eighteen stool samples were received from Civil Hospital Mirpur Khas (Sindh). All the specimens were processed for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.


RESULTS
Eight out of eighteen (44.4%) samples were positive for Vibrio cholerae. The isolates were gram negative rods, showed darting motility and were Oxidase positive. Contact with distilled water immobilized all these strains (Mdw). API 20NE was used for the biochemical identification and serological confirmation was done with 'difco' antisera. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was performed for their respective susceptibility to various antibiotics. All these isolates were confirmed to be Vibrio cholerae O1 Biotype El Tor Serotype Ogawa. The isolates were generally sensitive to majority of the antibiotics but resistant to nalidixic acid except one strain. Six out of eight isolates were resistant to co-trimoxazole.


CONCLUSIONS
Cholera must be suspected in outbreaks of such kind of 'gastro'.
Hannan
Abdul
A
Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan. zilufa@hotmail.com
Raja
Mahwish
M
Arshad
Muhammad Usman
MU
Absar
Muhammad
M
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002771:Cholera / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004403:Dysentery / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination