AUTHOR=Sambe-Ba Bissoume , Diallo Mamadou H. , Seck Abdoulaye , Wane Abdoul A. , Constantin de Magny Guillaume , Boye Cheikh S.-B. , Sow Ahmad I. , Gassama-Sow Amy 

TITLE=Identification of Atypical El TorV. cholerae O1 Ogawa Hosting SXT Element in Senegal, Africa

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00748

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.00748

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Vibrio cholerae</italic> O1 is the causative agent of cholera with classical and El Tor, two well-established biotypes. In last 20 years, hybrid strains of classical and El Tor and variant El Tor which carry classical <italic>ctx</italic>B have emerged worldwide. In 2004–2005, Senegal experienced major cholera epidemic with a number of cases totalling more than 31719 with approximately 458 fatal outcomes (CFR, 1.44%). In this retrospective study, fifty isolates out of a total of 403 <italic>V. cholerae</italic> biotype El Tor serovar Ogawa isolates from all areas in Senegal during the 2004–2005 cholera outbreak were randomly selected. Isolates were characterized using phenotypic and genotypic methods. The analysis of antibiotic resistance patterns revealed the predominance of the S-Su-TCY-Tsu phenotype (90% of isolates). The molecular characterization of antibiotic resistance revealed the presence of the SXT element, a self-transmissible chromosomally integrating element in all isolates. Most of <italic>V. cholerae</italic> isolates had an intact virulence cassette (86%) (<italic>ctx</italic>, <italic>zot</italic>, <italic>ace</italic> genes). All isolates tested gave amplification with primers for classical CT, and 10/50 (20%) of isolates carried classical and El Tor <italic>ctx</italic>B. The study reveals the presence of atypical <italic>V. cholerae</italic> O1 El Tor during cholera outbreak in Senegal in 2004–2005.</p>