Cholera epidemic in Baghdad during 1999: clinical and bacteriological profile of hospitalized cases
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Abstract
An epidemic of cholera in Iraq was anticipated for the year 1999 and a plan of notification and treatment of cases of diarrhoea was made. This paper documents the clinical and bacteriological profile of cholera cases admitted to the 6 hospitals in Baghdad during the epidemic. The number of stool culture-positive cases was 874. The peak incidence of cases [June 1999] was earlier than previous epidemics with no cases registered in November/December 1999. All age groups were affected and the case fatality rate was 1.3%. Strains isolated were Vibrio cholerae El-Tor O1, serotypes Ogawa [79.6%] and Inaba [12.1%], V. parahaemolyticus [2.0%] and non-agglutinable vibrios [6.1%]. V. cholerae O139 was isolated from 2 cases [0.2%] for the first time in Iraq. Antibiotic resistance was noted, especially to tetracyclineCitation
Al Abbassi, A.M., Ahmed, S. & Al Hadithi, T. (2005). Cholera epidemic in Baghdad during 1999: clinical and bacteriological profile of hospitalized cases. EMHJ - Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 11 (1-2), 6-13, 2005 https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/116912