Molecular Detection of Cholera Infection during the Outbreak in Thi-Qar Province/Iraq in 2015-2016

Cholera is an acute disease caused by Vibrio cholerae; it’s affected to all aged groups. Cholera infection is outbreaks in Iraq as reported for several years. The recent cholera outbreak, emerged throughout 2015-2016, was investigated by using bacteriological laboratory tests, singleplex and multiplex PCR technique for the detection of V. cholerae from stool samples. Furthermore the antibiotic susceptibility test for cholera was also investigated coupled with the toxigenic potential. A total of Twenty Vibrio cholerae isolates were isolated from diarrheal patients in Thi-Qar province. These isolates were diagnosis by conventional biochemical test, API20 E system and molecular methods by using 16SrRNA. The isolates were characterized for gene traits; antimicrobial susceptibility. The results appeared all 20 isolates were positive for 16S rRNA. Multiplex PCR analysis revealed that 65%, 35% and 15% of isolates were positive for tox R, tcp and ctx B genes respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing to isolates revealed high levels of resistance to ampicillin (100%), nalidixic acid (90%), sulfamethoxazoletrimethoprim (80%), tetracycline and ciprofloxacin (55%) and chloramphenicol (45%) in addition to increase the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) between Vibrio cholerae isolates.