Nontoxigenic 01 Vibrio cholerae in Peru: a report of two cases associated with diarrhea.

Two 01 Vibrio cholerae, E1 Tor strains, serogroup Ogawa were isolated from diarrheal stool material of two North American males residing or visiting in Peru. No other enteric pathogens were found. These strains did not produce cholera toxin as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent and Y1 adrenal cell assays, nor did they hybridize with an oligonucleotide probe for heat-labile (LT) toxin of Escherichia coli. These two cases are the first reports of 01 V. cholerae isolated from clinical specimens in South America.