Bacteriological Survey of Diarrheal Epidemics in the 1998 Bangladesh Floods

Abstract

In 1998, the worst flood disaster in Bangladesh ravaged more than half of its land and diarrheal epidemics broke out. We examined fecal specimens of diarrheal patients at rural hospitals in Chand-por district located 140 km southeast of Dhaka to analyze the enteric bacterial pathogens in post-flood period October. Of the 76 patients stools examined, Vibrio choleraeO1 biotype El Tor, serotype Ogawa, andVibrio choleraeO139 Bengal were detected in 25 (33%) and in 14 (18%) respectively. Other enteropathogenic bacteria confirmed wereVibrio choleraeO5, Vibrio fluvialisand Enteropatho-genicEscherichia coliO44. NeitherShigellanorSalmonellaspecies was detected in this study.
A drug susceptibility test was performed using TC, DOXY, CPFX, NA, and AMPC disks to chol-era Vibrios. The O1 Vibrios showed the same susceptible pattern as O139 excluding NA susceptibil-ity. TC resistant strain among the Vibrios was not detected though TC is a common therapeutic drug for diarrhea in this area. Our result clearly suggested that the epidemic potentiality of O139 still existed in rural Bangladesh.