Abstract
This study relates to the abundance and seasonal distribution of both V. cholerae non-O1 (O2 to 138) and V. mimicus in various aquatic components of the pond ecosystem. Three hundred eighty nine samples comprising aquatic plants (n=52), surface water (n=96), snails (n=90), oysters (n=55) and soil sediment (n=96) were collected from four selected ponds in Matlab at 15-day intervals. The isolation rate of V. cholerae non-O1 and V. mimicus was found to be 16.71% (65/389) and 10.80% (42/389), respectively. The abundance of both V. cholerae non-O1 and V. mimicus was highest with snail (26.6% and 24.4%) and lowest in soil sediment (11.5% and 1.4%, respectively). Seasonal variation in the prevalence of V. cholerae non-O1 and V. mimicus in individual pond ecosystems was also observed. V. cholerae non-O1 was isolated at a higher rate in pond no. 4 (33.3%) followed by pond no. 1 (19.2%). The isolation rate was higher between May and June for most of the ponds except for pond no. 2. The prevalence of V. mimicus was highest in pond no. 3 (16.5%) followed by pond no. 2 (13.3%). The abundance and seasonal distribution pattern of both V. cholerae non-O1 and V. mimicus reveal that Vibrio can survive in association with various aquatic components of the pond ecosystem and may have relevance to the transmission and epidemiology of diarrhoea in Bangladesh.
