Non-O:1 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia: case report and review

A case of non-O:1 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia and prostatic abscess in a patient with idiopathic aplastic anemia was studied, and the data were compared with those from 23 previously reported cases of non-O:1 V. cholerae bacteremia. The case-fatality rate for the 13 cases for which the outcome is known is 61.5%. The majority of known cases have occurred in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with hematologic malignancy or cirrhosis. Host susceptibility is potentially important in this condition. Bacterial products such as a cholera-like toxin and El Tor hemolysin also may play a role in the disease process. The incidence of enteritis due to non-O:1 V. cholerae is unclear because of the methods used for routine stool culture; however, the small number of reported isolates from blood is likely to reflect the infrequency of bacteremia, since Vibrio species are readily identifiable on sheep blood agar. While non-O:1 V. cholerae is sensitive to most antibiotics in vitro, no data are available on antibiotic efficacy.