Emerging Infectious Diseases (Apr 1999)

An Epidemic of Bloody Diarrhea: Escherichia coli O157 Emerging in Cameroon?

  • Patrick Cunin,
  • Etienne Tedjouka,
  • Yves Germani,
  • Chouaïbou Ncharre,
  • Raymond Bercion,
  • Jacques Morvan,
  • Paul M.V. Martin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0502.990217
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 285 – 290

Abstract

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Between November 1997 and April 20, 1998, bloody diarrhea sickened 298 persons in Cameroon. Laboratory investigation of the epidemic (case-fatality rate, 16.4%) documented amoebiasis in one of three patients and three types of pathogens: multidrug-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1, S. boydii, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. We report the first isolation of E. coli O157:H7 in Cameroon and the second series of cases in the Central African region.

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