Vibrio cholerae in Traveler from Haiti to Canada | EID

DOI: 10.3201/eid1706.110161
Suggested citation for this article: Gilmour MW, Martel-Laferrière V, Lévesque S, Gaudreau C, Bekal S, Nadon C, et al. Vibrio cholerae in traveler from Haiti to Canada [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Jun; [Epub ahead of print]

Vibrio cholerae in Traveler from Haiti to Canada

To the Editor: A nationwide outbreak of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Ogawa began in Haiti in October 2010 and has since resulted in >200,000 illnesses and 4,000 deaths (1). Additional cases of cholera attributed to the outbreak strain have subsequently been reported in the neighboring Dominican Republic and in Florida and New Jersey in the United States. In these instances, illness was related to travel to Haiti or consumption of contaminated water on the island of Hispaniola (which is shared by Haiti and Dominican Republic).

In Canada, the province of Québec has a large Haitian immigrant population. In early November 2010, the Québec public health authorities provided clinicians and laboratories with recommendations regarding the diagnosis of V. cholerae infections. We report a case of V. cholerae O1 serotype Ogawa in Canada related to the outbreak in Haiti. It was diagnosed in Montréal, Québec, on January 5, 2011.

A 49-year-old Canadian woman traveled to Haiti with her 5 brothers and sisters during December 22–29, 2010, to attend her mother’s funeral. While in Haiti, they stayed with family members. She came to the emergency department of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal on January 1, 2011, with abdominal cramps and diarrhea of moderate intensity that had started on December 29, the day she returned from Haiti. The patient was asthenic, but vital signs and results of a physical examination were normal. A complete blood count, levels of serum electrolytes and serum creatinine, and results of liver function tests were within reference ranges. A fecal sample was submitted and the patient received intravenous fluids and 1 dose (300 mg) of doxycycline. She improved rapidly and was discharged on January 3. The patient returned to the outpatient clinic on January 7, and she had recovered from her illness. Control fecal specimens obtained on January 9 and 10 were negative for V. cholerae. Family member...

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