The increased severity in patients presenting to hospital with diarrhea in Dhaka, Bangladesh since the emergence of the hybrid strain of Vibrio cholerae O1 is not unique to cholera patients

•After the emergence of the hybrid strain, patients presented with severe cholera.•Findings were also true for rotavirus and enterotoxigenic E. coli diarrhea.•Nutrition, vaccination status, and income were not factors associated with severe disease.•Severity was greater in malnourished children before and after the emergence of the hybrid strain.•Severe dehydrating cholera in a later time period may affect health-seeking behavior.

SummaryBackgroundA hybrid strain of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor that expresses a classical cholera toxin (CT) emerged in 2001. This hybrid variant rapidly replaced the previous El Tor strain around the world. The global emergence of this variant coincided with anecdotal reports that cholera patients were presenting with more severe dehydration and disease in many locations.MethodsA comparison was made of the severity of disease before and after the emergence of the hybrid strain in cholera patients attending an icddr,b hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.ResultsIt was found that cholera patients presented with more severe dehydration and severe disease in the later period. However, this was also true for all non-cholera patients as well. In addition, in sub-analyses of patients who presented with rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), similar results were found. Comparing the two periods for differences in patient characteristics, nutritional status, vaccination status, and income, no plausible cause for patients presenting with more severe disease was identified in the later period.ConclusionsAs a shift in severity for both cholera and non-cholera was observed, these results indicate that the altered El Tor strain cannot fully explain the difference in cholera severity before and after 2001.