@article{fdi:010070589,
  title = {{N}o evidence of significant levels of toxigenic {V}. cholerae {O}1 in the {H}aitian aquatic environment during the 2012 rainy season},
  author = {{B}aron, {S}. and {L}esne, {J}. and {M}oore, {S}. and {R}ossignol, {E}. and {R}ebaudet, {S}, and {G}azin, {P}ierre and {B}arrais, {R}. and {M}agloire, {R}. and {B}oncy, {J}. and {P}iarroux, {R}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {O}n {O}ctober 21, 2010, {H}aiti was struck by a cholera epidemic for the first time in over a century. {E}pidemiological and molecular genetic data have clearly demonstrated that the bacterium was imported. {N}evertheless, the persistence of the epidemic for more than two years, the high incidence rates in some coastal areas and the seasonal exacerbations of the epidemic during the rainy seasons have prompted us to examine the levels of toxigenic {V}ibrio cholerae in the {H}aitian aquatic environment. {M}ethods: {I}n {J}uly 2012, during the warm and rainy season, 36 aquatic stations were sampled to search for toxigenic {V}. cholerae. {T}hese stations included fresh, brackish and saline surface waters as well as waste water; the sampling sites were located in both rural and urban areas (around {P}ort-au-{P}rince and {G}ona{\¨ie}ves) located in the {W}est and {A}rtibonite {D}epartments. {V}. cholerae bacteria were detected in enrichment cultures of water samples (sample volumes included 1 {L}, 100 m{L}, 10 m{L}, 1 m{L}, 0.1 m{L}, 0.01 m{L} and 0.001 m{L} depending on the context). {D}etection methods included both culture on selective agar (for strain isolation) and {PCR} assays targeting the genes omp{W} ({V}. cholerae species), {O}1-rfb and {O}139-rfb ({O}1 and {O}139 {V}. cholerae serogroups, respectively), and the cholera toxin gene ctx{A}, which is present exclusively in toxigenic cholera strains. {R}esults: {A} total of 411 culturable {V}. cholerae isolates from 29 stations were obtained via selective culture; however, only one of these isolates displayed a late positive reaction with polyvalent anti-{O}1 serum. {P}ositive {V}. cholerae {PCR} results were obtained from each of the 32 tested stations (a total of 77 enrichments out of 107 yielded a positive result); only one sample yielded a positive {V}. cholerae {O}1 {PCR} result. {T}he cholera toxin gene ctx{A} was never detected via {PCR} with either primer pair, which includes samples derived from the two stations yielding positive {O}1 culture or positive {O}1 {PCR} results. {T}herefore, we could not demonstrate the presence of toxigenic {V}. cholerae {O}1 among the 36 stations sampled. {T}his suggests that all water samples analyzed contained less than 10 toxigenic {V}. cholerae {O}1 bacteria per liter, a level 1000-fold below the dose that has been shown to provoke cholera in healthy adults. {C}onclusions: {C}urrently, there is no evidence of a significant level of contamination of the aquatic environment in {H}aiti by the imported toxigenic {V}. cholerae {O}1 strain. {T}he reemergence of cholera outbreaks in {H}aiti during rainy seasons is therefore more likely due to persisting outbreaks insufficiently tackled during the dry periods rather than the commonly suspected aquatic reservoir of toxigenic bacteria.},
  keywords = {{EPIDEMIOLOGIE} ; {INFECTION} ; {TRANSMISSION} ; {LUTTE} ; {SAISON} {HUMIDE} ; {CHOLERA} ; {HAITI}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{PLOS} {C}urrents. {O}utbreaks},
  numero = {{S}ep 13},
  pages = {19  [en ligne]},
  ISSN = {2157-3999},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1371/currents.outbreaks.7735b392bdcb749baf5812d2096d331e},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070589},
}