Occurrence and distribution of culturablevibrio cholerae01 in aquatic environments of Bangladesh

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Abstract
Cholera epidemics occur twice a year in Bangladesh during which Vibrio cholerae 01 can be isolated from the aquatic environment. The reservoirs or sites of survival and multiplication of the bacteria between epidemics remain obscure. An investigation was carried out over 12 months to investigate the occurrence and distribution of Vibrio cholerae 01 in various components of 5 ponds in Dhaka. Samples were collected bimonthly with a total of 600 samples which included surface water, plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton and sediment and cultured for Vibrio cholerae 01 following an enrichment technique. Identification was carried out by following standard procedures. The highest isolation was from water (2.5%), followed by plants (1.67%) and phytoplankton (1.67%). The lowest and highest pH and salinity were recorded in pond 1 and 5, respectively. A total of 9 V. cholerae 01 biotype E1 Tor and serotype Inaba were isolated from water, plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton and sediment samples. This study demonstrated that water sources like pond ecosystems may act as a good habitat for V. cholerae 01 in a cholera endemic area of Bangladesh.