Obtaining and characterizing attenuated strains of Vibrio cholerae O139 to identify an active pharmaceutical ingredient in a vaccine against anger

Abstract

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that causes rapid severe dehydration in humans. An episode of anger or asymptomatic infection induces lasting immunological protection so obtaining an effective and cheap vaccine against cholera is a reasonable target. This disease is caused by the activity of cholera toxin produced during Intestinal infection of humans by the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Among more than 200 serogroups of V. cholerae identified, only serogroups O1 and O139 have been associated with outbreaks of the disease. V. cholerae O139 is an emerging serogroup that was first isolated in India in late 1992. It is accepted that V. cholerae of serogroup O139 constitutes the causal agent of the eighth cholera pandemic. There is no cross protection between the two serogroups epidemic of V. cholerae so a sero-specific vaccine is necessary and although there are two commercial vaccines 60% effective against serogroup O1, there is no proven efficacy against cholera caused by vibrios of serogroup O139.