Unexpected Cholera Bacteremia in a 91 Year Old Caucasian Male Patient

• Published in: Laboratory medicine Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. e71 - e74
• Main Authors: Thwe, Phyu M, Schilling, Matthew, Reynoso, David, Ren, Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01-11-2020
• Subjects: Bacteremia; Cholera; Cholera toxin; Diarrhea; Health aspects; Mass spectrometry; Ribosomal RNA; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines; Texas; United States > US; Gulf Coast; domestic; cholera; non-toxigenic; bacteremia
• ISSN: 0007-5027; 1943-7730
• DOI: 10.1093/labmed/lmaa028

ABSTRACT
Cholera is an illness caused by Vibrio cholerae; its main symptom is acute watery diarrhea. Some infections are asymptomatic or result in patients presenting with mild diarrhea, but complications, such as bacteremia, can be fatal. Being endemic in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Haiti, V. cholerae infection cases in the United States are primarily considered travel-related. Herein, we report a case of a 91 year old Caucasian man, a Texas Gulf Coast resident, who developed bacteremia due to V. cholerae despite having no international travel history. Culture workup by mass spectrometry, automated biochemical system, and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing confirmed V. cholerae. This case conveys an important reminder to clinicians and laboratory professionals regarding potentially serious cholera illnesses due to the domestic prevalence of V. cholerae in the coastal regions of the United States.