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The CDC has released their laboratory analysis of the cholera strains being contracted in Haiti, and not unexpectedly (since Haiti hasn’t reported cholera in the past), the strain came from outside of the country.
Over the past week there has been some heated (but unproven) speculation that Nepalese peacekeeping troops might have brought the bacteria into the country with them.
While the strain of Cholera identified (Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa) is commonly found in South Asia, today’s finding doesn’t narrow the place of origin down much further than that.
It does seem to rule out that this was an imported remnant from the Peruvian outbreak of the early 1990s.
This from the CDC.
Laboratory Test Results of Cholera Outbreak Strain in Haiti Announced
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — The Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population has received the results of laboratory testing showing that the cholera strain linked to the current outbreak in Haiti is most similar to cholera strains found in South Asia. More information about this strain, including the possibility that it might be found in other regions of the world, is anticipated from additional studies. The findings were reported as part of laboratory collaboration between the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Haiti and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
The rapid identification of the outbreak strain as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were reported last week by the NPHL. The new findings from CDC's laboratory are based on a method of "DNA fingerprinting" called pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), which analyzes DNA patterns that can then be compared with PFGE patterns of cholera strains from other regions of the world. The PFGE testing was performed on 13 bacterial isolates recovered from patients with cholera in Haiti. The PFGE analysis shows that these isolates are identical, indicating that they are the same strain and similar to a cholera strain found in South Asia.
The lab findings are not unexpected and provide information about the relatedness of the cholera outbreak strain to strains found elsewhere in the world.
"Although these results indicate that the strain is non-Haitian, cholera strains may move between different areas due to global travel and trade," said Minister of Health Dr. Alex Larsen. "Therefore, we will never know the exact origin of the strain that is causing the epidemic in Haiti. This strain was transmitted by contaminated food or water or an infected person."
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