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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

India : New cholera germ is stronger

Via Deccan Chronicle :

" The germ that has been causing regular outbreaks of cholera in the city is a new mutant of cholera bacterium, and if not check-ed, it will further spread in the environment posing a severe health threat.

A team of researchers from Defence Research and Development Establishment in Gwalior, collected contaminated water samples from the city and conducted bacteriological analysis on them. The results showed that the regular outbreaks of cholera in the twin cities were caused by the altered El Tor bacteria.

El Tor bacteria is a new strain that has evolved from the classic cholera bacteria, Vibrio cholerae. El Tor bacteria has further changed its character to become altered El Tor bacteria. Though altered El Tor bacteria has been isolated in Hyderabad, it is present in other places as well.

While the classic cholera bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, is toxigenic, but does not survive in the atmosphere for long, the normal El Tor bacteria is not toxigenic but survives in the environment.

What causes concern to health planners and medical researchers is that altered El Tor bacteria adapts to the environment and is toxigenic in nature."

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