Ongoing Cholera Epidemic - Tanzania, 2015-2016

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Rupa Narra, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Justin M. Maeda, Tanzanian Ministry of Health; Herilinda Temba, Tanzanian Ministry of Health; Janneth Mghamba, Tanzanian Ministry of Health; Ali Nyanga, Tanzanian Ministry of Health; Ashley L. Greiner, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Muhammad Bakari, Tanzanian Ministry of Health; Karlyn D. Beer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sae-Rom Chae, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Tiffany Walker, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-02-17
• Publisher: Centers for Disease Con
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: All material in the MMWR Series is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission
• License: Creative Commons Universal : Public Domain Dedication
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6606a5
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
• ISSN: 0149-2195
• Volume: 66
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 177
• End Page: 178
• Keywords: Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

On August 15, 2015, the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC) was notified about a case of acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration in a patient in Dar es Salaam. Vibrio cholerae O1, biotype El tor, serotype Ogawa, was isolated from the patient’s stool and an investigation was initiated. MOHCDGEC defined a suspected cholera case as the occurrence of severe dehydration or death from acute watery diarrhea in a person aged ≥5 years, or acute, profuse watery diarrhea with or without vomiting in a person aged ≥2 years in a region with an active cholera outbreak. A confirmed cholera case was defined as isolation of V. cholerae O1 from the stool of a person with suspected cholera. Tanzania’s first reported cholera epidemic was in 1974 with intermittent outbreaks since then; the largest epidemic occurred in 1997, with 40,249 cases and 2,231 deaths (case fatality rate [CFR] was 5.5%) (1).