RESUMO
During the recent epidemic of cholera in Madras from October-December 1992, a total of 11,100 patients with acute secretory diarrhoea have been admitted to the Communicable Diseases Hospital, Madras, when compared to a total of 2,440 patients admitted during the pre-epidemic period studied between January - September 1992. A novel strain of non-01 V. cholerae was found to be the most predominant agent during the epidemic period. A representative sample of 84 non-01 strains isolated during the epidemic period were confirmed as V. cholerae non-01 and newly designated as serogroup 0139 at National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Calcutta. All 84 strains of non-01 were found to elaborate cholera toxin (CT). Fourteen strains were also confirmed as serogroup 0139 from our non-01 stock recovered during the pre-epidemic period. Of the 17,540 patients admitted during the post epidemic period, studied from January 1993 - June 1994, 3.8 and 37.8 per cent patients were infected by 01 and non-01 serogroup 0139 respectively. The new serogroup 0139 continued to be the predominant isolate even during the post epidemic period.
