Effect of doxycycline on transmission of Vibrio cholerae infection among family contacts of cholera patients in Calcutta

Abstract

Doxycycline was used among the family contacts of hospitalized cholera patients in Calcutta to determine its effectiveness in controlling transmission of V. cholerae infection. A total of 137 such contacts were given a single oral dose of doxycycline in graded doses according to age. A similar group of 139 contacts received a single dose of multivitamins as placebo. All 276 contacts were examined bacteriologically daily for 10 days for the presence of V. cholerae in their stools. The results showed that doxycycline was effective in significantly reducing the load of V. cholerae infection for up to 5 days following treatment.