Seasonality and toxigenicity of Vibrio cholerae non-01 isolated from different components of pond ecosystems of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

Diarrhoea due to Vibrio cholerae non-01 is common in Bangladesh. Four hundred and eighty samples, including plants, water, phytoplankton and sediment, were collected from five ponds in Dhaka every 15 days for one year. V. cholerae non-01 was isolated from 181 (38%) of the samples. Two peaks were evident: one in April and the other in August/September. Forty-three (23%) of the 181 isolates were examined for toxigenicity and 19% were cytotoxic to Y1 adrenal cells. This study provides evidence of the likely infectious nature of some ponds and may have relevance to the epidemiology of diarrhoea caused by V. cholerae non-01 in Bangladesh. © 1992 Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd.