ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Nepalese origin of cholera epidemic in Haiti

  1. R. R. Frerichs1,
  2. P.S. Keim2,3,
  3. R. Barrais4,
  4. R. Piarroux5

Article first published online: 17 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.x

Issue

Clinical Microbiology and Infection

Clinical Microbiology and Infection

Volume 18, Issue 6, pages E158–E163, June 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Frerichs, R. R., Keim, P.S., Barrais, R. and Piarroux, R. (2012), Nepalese origin of cholera epidemic in Haiti. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 18: E158–E163. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03841.x

Author Information

  1. 1

     Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA

  2. 2

     Division of Pathogens Genomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Flagstaff, AZ, USA

  3. 3

     Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

  4. 4

     Ministry of Public Health and Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  5. 5

     UMR-MD3, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France and 6) University Hospital la Timone, APHM, Marseille, France

*Corresponding author: R. Piarroux, Laboratoire de parasitologie UMR MD3 Aix-Marseille Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 Rue Saint-Pierre 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France E-mail: renaud.piarroux@ap-hm.fr

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 MAY 2012
  2. Article first published online: 17 APR 2012
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 14 MAR 2012 03:28AM EST
  4. Original Submission: 11 January 2012; Revised Submission: 10 March 2012; Accepted: 12 March 2012 Editor: D. Raoult; Article published online: 14 March 2012

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Keywords:

  • Cholera;
  • disease transmission;
  • epidemics;
  • epidemiology;
  • Haiti;
  • infectious;
  • Vibrio cholerae

Clin Microbiol Infect 2012; 18: E158–E163

Abstract

Cholera appeared in Haiti in October 2010 for the first time in recorded history. The causative agent was quickly identified by the Haitian National Public Health Laboratory and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Since then, >500 000 government-acknowledged cholera cases and >7000 deaths have occurred, the largest cholera epidemic in the world, with the real death toll probably much higher. Questions of origin have been widely debated with some attributing the onset of the epidemic to climatic factors and others to human transmission. None of the evidence on origin supports climatic factors. Instead, recent epidemiological and molecular-genetic evidence point to the United Nations peacekeeping troops from Nepal as the source of cholera to Haiti, following their troop rotation in early October 2010. Such findings have important policy implications for shaping future international relief efforts.

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