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A hospital outbreak of cholera in Maputo, Mozambique
Abstract:
We describe a hospital outbreak of cholera in a children's paediatric unit. The outbreak began explosively and continued for four months with spread from person to person within the diarrhoea isolation unit. Overcrowded and unhygienic conditions in this unit facilitated transmission. The organism was multiply drug-resistant, the same strain having been isolated in another outbreak in the paediatric unit seven months previously. A high case fatality rate of 30.0% was recorded in infants infected in hospital.
Insights
A hospital outbreak of cholera in a pediatric unit lasted four months due to person-to-person spread in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions. This multiply drug-resistant strain caused a 30% fatality rate in hospitalized infants.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hospital-acquired infections pose significant risks, particularly in vulnerable pediatric populations.
- Cholera outbreaks in healthcare settings can be challenging to control, especially with drug-resistant strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a prolonged hospital outbreak of cholera in a pediatric unit.
- To identify factors contributing to transmission and assess the clinical impact.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case analysis of a hospital outbreak.
- Microbiological investigation of the causative agent.
- Environmental and epidemiological assessment of the pediatric unit.
Main Results:
- An explosive, four-month cholera outbreak occurred in a pediatric unit.
- Overcrowding and poor hygiene facilitated person-to-person transmission.
- The multiply drug-resistant Vibrio cholerae strain was linked to a previous outbreak; case fatality rate was 30% in infants.
Conclusions:
- Multiply drug-resistant cholera outbreaks in pediatric units require stringent infection control measures.
- Overcrowded and unhygienic hospital conditions significantly increase transmission risk.
- Prompt identification and control of recurrent, drug-resistant pathogens are crucial to prevent high mortality in infants.