Cholera in XXXX at Eshowe Hospital.

@entity3081 @entity1 @entity580
During a 2-week period in May 1983 Eshowe Hospital inpatients were screened for @entity3081 and positive cases were found on all the wards that were investigated. The high incidence among paediatric @entity1 suggested the possibility of an epidemic in the community and/or @entity580 within the ward. At this time 9 paediatric nurses were found to have @entity3081 -positive stools and subsequently 8 @entity1 contracted @entity3081 after admission to hospital. The possibility of @entity580 by @entity1 -to- @entity1 transmission is suggested. In the second part of this study, our clinical experience of @entity3081 among inpatients during the period January 1983 - March 1984 is reviewed. The number of @entity1 in hospital with @entity3081 -positive stools decreased sharply during the winter months; this was possibly related to variations in both temperature and rainfall. The full range of symptomatology was seen and several @entity1 had repeated episodes of proven @entity3081 . The mortality was highest in bottlefed babies who were malnourished or under 1 year of age. Between 30 May and 15 June 1983, 293 consecutive @entity1 attending the paediatric outpatients department were screened for @entity3081 ; 99 cases were confirmed. Thus @entity3081 was shown to be present in the paediatric community outside Eshowe Hospital. Diagnosis based on the history and clinical findings proved unreliable and laboratory investigation was essential. Rivers were the most common and dangerous source of domestic water. The majority of accompanying adults questioned were using untreated water or failing to treat the water adequately.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
