title: Indigenous Vibrio cholerae strains from a non-endemic region are pathogenic.
abstract: Of the 200+ serogroups of Vibrio cholerae, only O1 or O139 strains are reported to cause cholera, and mostly in endemic regions. Cholera outbreaks elsewhere are considered to be via importation of pathogenic strains. Using established animal models, we show that diverse V. cholerae strains indigenous to a non-endemic environment (Sydney, Australia), including non-O1/O139 serogroup strains, are able to both colonize the intestine and result in fluid accumulation despite lacking virulence factors believed to be important. Most strains lacked the type three secretion system considered a mediator of diarrhoea in non-O1/O13 V. cholerae. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) showed that the Sydney isolates did not form a single clade and were distinct from O1/O139 toxigenic strains. There was no correlation between genetic relatedness and the profile of virulence-associated factors. Current analyses of diseases mediated by V. cholerae focus on endemic regions, with only those strains that possess particular virulence factors considered pathogenic. Our data suggest that factors other than those previously well described are of potential importance in influencing disease outbreaks.
authors: The Ithree Institute, University of Technology, Broadway, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia.
authors: Atiqul
authors: A
authors: Islam
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Labbate
authors: Steven P
authors: SP
authors: Djordjevic
authors: Munirul
authors: M
authors: Alam
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Darling
authors: Jacqueline
authors: J
authors: Melvold
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Holmes
authors: Fatema T
authors: FT
authors: Johura
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Cravioto
authors: Ian G
authors: IG
authors: Charles
authors: H W
authors: HW
authors: Stokes
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors; D002772:Cholera Toxin