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Aims: This study aims to characterize of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains for improved cholera surveillance in Benin. Methodology: 304 diarrheal stool samples were collected from people with watery diarrhea of unknown etiology and vomiting during epidemics from 2016 to 2018 in Benin. Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains were isolated and then biochemical tests, serogrouping and serotyping were performed. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using the disc diffusion method and E-tests. Multiplex and real-time PCR were used to identify and detect virulence genes (CtxA, OmpW and TcpA). Results: The results showed a 21.71% prevalence of toxigenic Vibrio cholera in Benin. All strains were Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Inaba (100%) and showed a high sensitivity to doxycycline (96.97 %), chloramphenicol (95.45 %) and ciprofloxacin (90.91 %). However, antibiotic resistance was observed, especially for erythromycin (74.24 %), Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (71.21 %) and ampicillin (43.94 %). The CtxA and TcpA virulence genes were respectively detected in 100% and 96.97% of the toxigenic strains of V. cholerae isolated. While the OmpW gene was identified on all the toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholerae isolated. Conclusion: Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from patients suspected of cholera were highly virulent and resistant to antimicrobials.

Cholera is an epidemic disease and a real public health problem throughout the world, particularly in West Africa. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogenicity, epidemiology and Vibrio cholerae strains’s antibiotics resistance in West Africa. A literature review was conducted online in English using the keywords “Cholera”, “Vibrio cholerae” “West Africa”, “Epidemiology”, “Antibiotic resistance”. These keywords were entered into using electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Elsevier and articles were used according to the reliability of their sources, study areas, and subjects. This review was based on the collected data from different databases. One hundred and twenty-three articles were identified. After the initial and final sorting of the collected data in order to eliminate duplicate copies, eighty-three were retained while seventy articles were selected, respectively, for this review. Though some studies had recommended for a system of monitoring cholera in West African countries, nevertheless, there is the need to create more awareness. Furthermore, hygienic practices and environmental wastes management in these countries need to be improved. Key words: Cholera, epidemiology, Vibrio cholerae, antibiotic resistance, West Africa.

Cholera is a disease that Benin has been fighting against for years but which continues to create economic losses for households. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge of the population about this disease and to assess hygiene practices in order to identify the factors responsible for its sustainability. The data were collected through a survey of 720 households in the 12 departments of the country. These data were analyzed with SAS software and three groups of people were identified on the basis of hygiene measures. The majority of respondents know cholera. The main symptoms they mentioned were vomiting (84.83%) and diarrhea (81.04%). Diarrhea was more reported in group 3 (88.96%) than in groups 1 (86.58%) and 2 (83.19%). Low levels of hygiene were the main cause of this disease. In the absence of toilets, the interviewees pass stool in the bush and at the edge of water sources used in households. Some of them have bins (in particular group 1) for household waste but do not subscribe to refuse collection structures. Therefore, they throw garbage in sometimes unofficial landfills. Others, on the other hand, have not garbage cans (mainly group 2) and they empty garbage everywhere (street, gutters and bushes). In addition, hand washing is hardly ever done after using the toilet. Hygiene practices in some households are insufficient, which does not protect the population from cholera.