Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Nov 5:12:287.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-287.

Cholera risk factors, Papua New Guinea, 2010

Alexander Rosewell  1 , Benita Addy, Lucas Komnapi, Freda Makanda, Berry Ropa, Enoch Posanai, Samir Dutta, Glen Mola, W Y Nicola Man, Anthony Zwi, C Raina MacIntyre
Affiliations

Cholera risk factors, Papua New Guinea, 2010

Alexander Rosewell et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Cholera is newly emergent in Papua New Guinea but may soon become endemic. Identifying the risk factors for cholera provides evidence for targeted prevention and control measures.

Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study to identify cholera risk factors. Using stool culture as the standard, we evaluated a cholera point of care test in the field.

Results: 176 participants were recruited: 54 cases and 122 controls. Independent risk factors for cholera were: being over 20 years of age (aOR 2.5; 95%CI 1.1, 5.4), defecating in the open air (or river) (aOR 4.5; 95% CI 1.4, 14.4) and knowing someone who travelled to a cholera affected area (aOR 4.1; 95%CI 1.6, 10.7); while the availability of soap for handwashing at home was protective (aOR 0.41; 95%CI 0.19, 0.87). Those reporting access to a piped water distribution system in the home were twice as likely to report the availability of soap for handwashing. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid test were 72% (95% CI 47-90) and 71% (95%CI 44-90%).

Conclusions: Improving population access to the piped water distribution system and sanitation will likely reduce transmission by enabling enhanced hygiene and limiting the contamination of water sources. The One step V. cholerae O1/O139 Antigen Test is of limited utility for clinical decision making in a hospital setting with access to traditional laboratory methods. Settlement dwellers and mobile populations of all age groups should be targeted for interventions in Papua New Guinea.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Horwood PF, Collins D, Jonduo MH, Rosewell A, Dutta SR, Dagina R, Ropa B, Siba PM, Greenhill AR. Clonal Origins of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor Strains, Papua New Guinea, 2009–2011. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17:2063–2065. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sack DA, Sack RB, Nair GB, Siddique AK. Cholera. Lancet. 2004;363:223–233. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15328-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Korthuis PT, Jones TR, Lesmana M, Clark SM, Okoseray M, Ingkokusumo G, Wignall FS. An outbreak of El Tor cholera associated with a tribal funeral in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health. 1998;29:550–554. - PubMed
    1. Gunnlaugsson G, Einarsdóttir J, Angulo FJ, Mentambanar SA, Passa A, Tauxe RV. Funerals during the 1994 cholera epidemic in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa: the need for disinfection of bodies of persons dying of cholera. Epidemiol. Infect. 1998;120:7–15. doi: 10.1017/S0950268897008170. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Acosta CJ, Galindo CM, Kimario J, Senkoro K, Urassa H, Casals C, Corachán M, Eseko N, Tanner M, Mshinda H, Lwilla F, Vila J, Alonso PL. Cholera outbreak in southern Tanzania: risk factors and patterns of transmission. Emerging Infect. Dis. 2001;7:583–587. - PMC - PubMed