Persistent diarrhoea in a 5-month-old baby carrying Vibrio cholerae nonO1/nonO139 producing Haitian cholera toxin

Abstract

Cholera toxin (CT) is the principal virulence factor of Vibrio cholerae for fatal cholera diarrhoea. Serogroups O1 and O139 harbour CT and are known to be epidemic strains. The remaining serogroups (nonO1/nonO139) are non-toxigenic and may be associated with mild disease. O1 serogroup emerged with a variant of CT known as Haitian cholera toxin (HCT). The HCT strains are hypervirulent and have been associated with severe cholera outbreaks in India, Western Africa and Haiti. Here, we report the presence of HCT (ctxB7) in a nonO1/nonO139 isolate causing persistent diarrhoea. Keywords: Haitian cholera toxin, hypervirulence, nonO1/nonO139, persistent diarrhoea, Vibrio cholerae