THE QUEENSLAND CHOLERA INCIDENT OF 1977 .1. THE INDEX CASE

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (4) , 663-664
Abstract
The 1st known case of cholera to be contracted in Australia during the 7th pandemic occurred in Queensland in 1977. The patient had not traveled abroad or been in contact with persons suffering from gastroenteritis. Vibrio cholerae, biotype eltor, serotype Inaba, phage-type 2, was the causative microorganism. This case is unique in that the microbiological diagnosis was based on the identification of isolate from venous blood. This indicates that the patient was bacteremic, an observation not previously reported. The incident shows the importance of routine screening of fecal specimens for V. cholerae, as well as other enteropathogens.