US Gulf-like toxigenic O1 Vibrio cholerae causing sporadic cholera outbreaks in China. Issue 5 (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luo, Yun; Octavia, Sophie; Jin, Dazhi; Ye, Julian; Miao, Ziping; Jiang, Tao; Xia, Shichang; Lan, Ruiting
• Is Part Of: Journal of infection. Volume 72:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 564
• Page End: 572
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Toxigenic O1 Vibrio cholerae -- China cholera -- US Gulf-like clone -- ctx prophage -- Genome; Infection -- Periodicals; Bacterial Infections -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2016.02.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-4453

Abstract

Summary: Objectives: Cholera is potentially a life threatening disease caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae . Here we report the identification and characterisation of 76 non-7th pandemic clone O1 V. cholerae isolates including 65 clinical isolates from diarrhoeal patients from 2005 to 2014 in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods: We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to characterise 65 V. cholerae isolates. Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on a subset of the isolates and whole-genome sequencing was done on 13 isolates. Results: MLST separated 65 isolates into 19 sequence types (STs). Thirty three isolates belonged to ST75 which also contains the US Gulf Coast clone. PFGE separated the 33 isolates into 16 pulsotypes. Whole genome sequencing of 10 ST75 isolates showed that the US Gulf Coast clone and the Chinese ST75 isolates can be separated into two distinct lineages, ST75a and ST75b. All Zhejiang ST75 isolates were ST75b. Conclusion: PFGE and genome sequencing confirmed the linked cases and identified small outbreaks caused by ST75b. The emergence and potential spread of ST75b may pose significant threat to public health. Epidemiological surveillance is required to further understand its epidemic potential. Highlights: US Gulf Coast-like clone is prevalent, causing sporadic cholera (2005–2014) in six cities in Zhejiang province, China There was considerable genetic diversity in the O1 toxigenic strains unrelated to the 7th pandemic clones. US Gulf Coast clone and the US Gulf Coast-like clones in China can be separated into two distinct lineages, ST75a and ST75b. All Zhejiang ST75 isolates were ST75b. ST75b may pose significant threat to public health so continued monitoring is necessary to understand its epidemic potential.