Cholera Outbreak in Hadhramout, Yemen: The Epidemiological Weeks ۲۰۱۹

Background and aims: Cholera is a disease of acute watery diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae usually transmitted through contaminated water. In this study, we collected and analyzed the related epidemiological data to determine cholera outbreak in Hadhramout, Yemen during the disease epidemic in ۲۰۱۹.   Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted according to screening rapid diagnostic and confirmatory laboratory culture testing methods for diagnosing clinically cholera cases.   Results: Suspected cholera cases were tested by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and ۳۹۹ (۵۰.۵%) out of ۷۹۴ cases were determined positive, and ۷۶(۹.۶%) of them were confirmed by laboratory culture test (LCT) with statistically significant difference. Serotype V. cholerae O۱ was also detected in patients’ diarrhea. Females were the most affected by the disease manifested in ۲۰۱ (۲۵.۳%) and ۴۳ (۵.۴%) when tested by RDT and LCT, respectively, with no statistically significant difference. The highest proportion of cholera cases (۲۲۴) were reported in the age group less than ۱۵ years (۵۶.۱%) with statistically significant difference when tested by RDT, and ۴۵(۱۳.۳%) when tested by LCT with insignificant statistics difference. Hajr directorate was revealed to be the most affected with ۲۴۲ (۳۰.۴۷%) followed by Mukalla city directorate with ۱۰۸ (۱۳.۶۰%) when the cases were tested by RDT; while Hajr and Mukalla city directorates reported ۵۵ (۷.۰%) and ۱۵ (۲.۰%), respectively, when it was confirmed by LCT with a statistically significant difference.   Conclusion: Severe cholera outbreak occurred during the epidemiological weeks in ۲۰۱۹ in Hadhramout coast. V. cholerae O۱ serotype was the causative agent of cholera. Females and age group less than ۱۵ years were the most affected by the disease. Hajr and Mukalla city directorates reported serious outbreak cholera cases.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cholera ، Epidemiological data ، Outbreak ، Vibrio cholerae