CHOLERA - FOODBORNE TRANSMISSION AND ITS PREVENTION

The last several years have witnessed a tremendous increase in reporte d cholera cases across the globe. The explosive arrival of the seventh cholera pandemic in Latin America in 1991, dramatic epidemics of chol era on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia due to the newly recognized Vibrio cholerae O139 strain, and the often deadly presence of cholera among populations affected by political and social upheaval in Africa and Eastern Europe are evidence that many countries have fa iled to adopt effective measures for cholera prevention and control. F oodborne transmission of cholera has been well documented by epidemiol ogic investigations in nearly every continent, and its interruption is a critical component to any integrated programme for cholera preventi on and control. We emphasize dear and effective guidelines for the pre vention of food-borne cholera transmission that are drawn from a compr ehensive review of relevant epidemiologic and laboratory data.