Ashiq Hussain, Muhammad Kamran Taj, Muhammad Shafi Khosa, Bezan Baloch, Muhammad Tahir, Abdul Sadiq.
Epidemic and PCR-based identification of vibrio cholera through OmpW gene from diarrhoeal patients admitted at different hospitals of Baluchistan..
J Pak Med Assoc Jan ;71(4):1189-92.

To study the different epidemiological and polymerase chain reaction-based identification of vibrio cholera. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Center for Advanced Studies in Vaccinology and Biotechnology, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan, from January 5 to December 6, 2019, and comprised faecal / rectal swab samples from patients with a history of untreated severe diarrhoea of <12-hour duration. The samples were collected from suspected cholera patients at different hospitals of the province. The isolates were examined and identified on the basis of colony characters on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar. Susppected colonies were subjected to gram staining, biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction-based identification. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. Of the 444 samples, 33(7.43%) were positive for vibrio cholera and 411(92.56%) were negative. The incidence was higher in individuals aged 1-20 years 12(2.7%); males 18(4.05%); Balochs 18(4.05%); lower socioeconomic class 18(4.05%); and illiterates 26(5.85%). The incidence was more in summer 19(4.27%) and spring 8(1.80%) seasons. Polymerase chain reaction was highly effective diagnostic approach, with findings showing clear bands of 588bp of ompW gene. Surveillance for diarrhoeal disorders is necessary to control future outbreaks of cholera in the region.

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