Abstract:

Objective The study was conducted to investigate the cause of a food related cholera epidemic in rural of Huaiyuan County, Anhui Province, so as to provide the evidence for the effective control of the epidemic situation.  Methods  Vibrio cholerae was identified according to GB 15984-1995 standard, epidemiological survey on the risk factors was performed to the dinner⁃participants, cases, close contacts. The effective control measures were taken. Results The cholera epidemic situation was caused by the contaminated food from a dinner, the shrimps consumed in the dinner were contaminated by Vibrio cholera in storage, processing, cooking process. Among 137 dinner⁃participants, 20 of which were infected with Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa, and 257 residents from 76 families were close contacts. Conclusion  The cholera epidemic was caused by the contaminated food from a dinner in a rural area, since the epidemic situation was timely discovered, and effective control measures were taken, the epidemic had been effectively controlled.

Key words: Dinner together in rural, Cholera, Epidemic outbreak, Investigation and control