The appearance & spread of Vibrio cholerae 0139 in India

A new clone of non-01 V. cholerae designated as serogroup 0139, which produces cholera toxin, was detected first in south India in September 1992 and has spread to many parts of India since then. It was identified in Bangladesh in December 1992 and in Thailand in April 1993. By May 1993 it was found in Haryana and Punjab. Its clinical manifestations are typical of cholera, occurring in outbreaks. This clone has largely replaced the previously prevalent 01 V. cholerae in several cholera endemic areas indicating that a new cholera pandemic has begun.