Un caso di diffusione intra-familiare di colera

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae (VC) serogroups O1 and O139. Transmission is oro-faecal and it might lead to acute dehydration. The disease is still endemic in resource-poor countries, nevertheless importation cases are occasionally reported in developed countries. The paper reports a case of a 3-year-old boy admitted to the emergency room because of acute gastroenteritis with rice-water stools. Faecal samples were positive for VC. The child was managed with prompt parenteral crystalloid infusion, followed by oral rehydration solution. After a single dose of azythromicin, a progressive reduction in symptoms was documented. Cholera infection is then briefly reviewed.