VIBRIO-CHOLERAE O1 AND O139 IN LESS-THAN 5 YEARS OLD CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED FOR WATERY DIARRHEA IN DELHI, 1993

In Delhi, patients with cholera-like illness are admitted to the Infec tious Diseases Hospital. In 1993, rectal swabs from 836 such patients aged less than five years were examined for the presence of Vibrio cho lerae O1 and O139. Of them, 232 (28%), 180 (22%), and 424 (51%) were f ound suffering from O1 cholera, O139 cholera, and non-cholera watery d iarrhoea respectively. Twelve children (1.4%) excreted both V. cholera e O1 and O139. Both types of cholera were similarly distributed by age , with 19% of the cases occurring in infants. The findings indicate th at cholera should be suspected in children aged less than two years an d in infants with acute watery diarrhoea. For both serotypes, males we re more represented than females; the differences were, however, not s ignificant. Clinical features of patients with V. cholerae O139 and O1 were indistinguishable, except that a significantly higher percentage of the former had fever. Potential risk factors for cholera were almo st equally prevalent in the families of children aged less than 5 year s having either O1 or O139 cholera. The results suggest a similar mode of transmission of the two serotypes in children. By inference, the p reventive and control measures are also likely to be similar.