Intestinal microflora in Asiatic cholera. 3. Studies in pediatric cholera.

During the 1968 cholera epidemic in Calcutta, a series of investigations were undertaken in adult patients with acute cholera to determine the microflora of the small and large bowel. Fecal effluent and small bowel specimens obtained by tube aspiration were subjected to quantitative and qualitative bacteriologic analysis. Acute cholera in children differs from the adult form in at least 2 important aspects: (i) the electrolyte composition of fecal effluent [1], and (2) the mortality rate (it is considerably higher in the younger age group) [2]. For these reasons, a comparison of the bacteriology of the gastrointestinal tract in children and adults with acute cholera was undertaken.