The characterization of Vibrio cholerae isolated in Kenya in 1983.

A total of 245 strains of Vibrio cholerae 01 and two strains of V. cholerae non-01 were isolated and collected from diarrhoeal patients in Homa Bay District Hospital and the other medical facilities in Nyanza Province, Kenya in 1983. The majority of V. cholerae 01 tested were Ogawa type (with the exception of nine Inaba type), biotype E1 Tor (except one untypable strain) and Celebes original type (except one cured type). Haemolytic activity to sheep red blood cells was detected in 75.5% of isolates. Out of 245 strains of V. cholerae 01, 184 were resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin and ampicillin. All were sensitive to chloramphenicol and nalidixic acid. Only one strain of V. cholerae 01 was sensitive to all five antimicrobial agents tested. An environmental cholera survey was done after the cholera outbreak subsided. Twenty strains of V. cholerae non-01 were isolated from water samples in Nyanza Province but none of V. cholerae 01 was isolated.