Favourable outcomes of non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteraemia in vulnerable populations: a case series

Abstract

Non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae (NOVC) bacteraemia is an uncommon infection and could be associated with life-threatening conditions in susceptible hosts. Definitive management guidelines are lacking. To describe the clinical spectrum, treatment practices and outcome of NOVC bacteraemia. Eight patients with NOVC bacteraemia admitted to two large tertiary care hospitals in Oman were identified over a 10-year period (2010-2020). Data were extracted retrospectively from the hospital patient data management. Six (75.0%) patients were male, and the median age of patients was 67.5 years. The majority of cases (87.5%) were not associated with travel and no clear sources were identified. All patients had predisposing factors including diabetes mellitus, chronic liver disease or malignancies. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the predominant manifestations in 75.0% of cases, but diarrhoea was only reported in one patient. Early presentation (median interval from symptom onset to presentation 1.5 days), appropriate management and highly susceptible isolates may have contributed to the favourable outcome, as there were no cases of death or severe course of infection. All patients were discharged home after a median of 9 days of hospitalization.