title: Cholera outbreak following a marriage ceremony in Medinya, Western Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cholera is a diarrhoea disease caused by the bacteriume. On 13th June 2011, there was a reported outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea at Medinya among people who eat at a mass traditional wedding ceremony in the Western Region of Ghana. We investigated to characterize the outbreak, and implement control and preventive measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective cohort study. We interviewed health workers, reviewed medical records, conducted environmental assessment and obtained water and stool samples for laboratory investigation. A suspected cholera-case defined as a person with acute watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting, who ate food prepared at the mass traditional wedding in Medinya on 10th June 2011. We performed univariate and bivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 17 case-patients, 9 (52.9%) were males. The overall attack rate was 11.18% and case fatality rate was 5.9%. The most affected age group was 6-10 years (23.53%) with median age of 20 and ranged 6 to 38 years. Time of onset of symptoms was 2.00am and peaked at 10.am on 13th June. Compared to other food served, fufu with groundnut soup was more likely to have been contaminated (RR=7.3, 95%CI: 1.8-29.3). We isolatedeserotype ogawa from stool samples. We observed open defaecation and poor personal hygiene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  eserotype ogawa caused a high case-fatality outbreak in Medinya. Contaminated fufu and groundnut soup were the sources. Hand washing with soap was initiated and a make shift latrine constructed following our health education and recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana; Veterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acquah
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana; Diseases Control and Prevention Department, Ghana Health Services, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Keziah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malm
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana; University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Der
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kye-Duodu
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana; Diseases Control and Prevention Department, Ghana Health Services, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Ebenezer Kofi
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mensah
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Samuel Oko
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Sackey
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana; Diseases Control and Prevention Department, Ghana Health Services, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Kofi Mensah
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Nyarko
authors.affiliation: Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Afari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cohort studies; Ghana; cholera outbreak; serotype-ogawa