Trend of antibiotic resistance of Vibrio cholerae strains from East Delhi.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Epidemics of cholera caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 (Bengal strain) represent a major public health problem in most developing countries. In view of the reported shift in epidemiology and pattern of antibiotic resistance in this was study carried out to assess the development of resistance to essential drugs like fluoroquinolones during treatment of cholera and cholera like cases in Delhi. METHODS: Faecal specimens collected from 1184 patients with cholera and cholera like illness between 2001-2006 admitted to Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, East Delhi were subjected to culture isolation. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of V. cholerae isolates was done by disc diffusion method. RESULTS: Of the 1184 faecal samples examined, 670 (56.6%) were positive for V. cholera from 2001- 2006. V. cholerae El Tor Ogawa (54.6%) was more common than serotype Inaba (32.5%). During 2004-2006 V. cholerae Inaba emerged as the predominant serotype. Resistance to nalidixic acid, furazolidone and co-trimoxazole was constantly high (100%). Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) V. cholerae O1 Inaba isolates exhibited increased resistance to ciprofloxacin with MIC >4 microg/ml, but largely all remained susceptible to other antibiotics like, gentamicin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: V. cholerae have a permanent existence in the environment and during the quiescent period, their survival in water bodies allows dissipation of resistance patterns to different serotypes or strains of V. cholerae O1 and therefore there is need for constant observation.

Ion-swimming speed variation of Vibrio cholerae cells.

In the present work we report the variation in swimming speed of Vibrio cholerae with respect to the change in concentration of sodium ions in the medium. We have also studied the variation in swimming speed with respect to temperature. We find that the swimming speed initially shows a linear increase with the increase of the sodium ions in the medium and then plateaus. The range within which the swimming speed attains saturation is approximately the same at different temperatures.

Endemicity of cholera among rural areas of Loni, Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

A total of 130 Vibrio cholerae strains isolated during November 1989 to December 1992 from the rural population of Loni areas--Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra were characterised. Of these isolates, 124 were El tor vibrios serotype Ogawa, and 6 were El tor vibrios serotype Inaba. One hundred twenty two strains belonging to T4 phage, while 8 strains of El tor vibrio serotype Ogawa were untypable. All the strains isolated, showing haemolytic and non-haemolytic colony variants of El tor V. cholerae, and had resistance of one or more antibiotics. Maximum incidence was observed in November-December, the illness had a mild onset and no fatality was reported.