[Seroepidemiological survey of El Tor cholera in an endemic region of Algeria]

Between the 26th of April and the 8th of july 1987 a seroepidemiological survey was conducted in the district of Chlef located in an endemic cholera area of Algeria. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the seroprevalence of vibriocidal antibodies and to study some epidemiological characteristics of cholera. This survey concerns the representative samples of patients and asymptomatic carriers such as they were declared during the epidemic periods of 1982 and 1986 and a sample of contacts of these latter. A bacteriology of stools practised on all the subjects did not reveal a carrying of vibrios. The seroprevalence was 37.6% and it concerned all ages. It was linked meaningfully to the age category and not to the sex. This seroprevalence was not significantly different between the cases, the carriers and the contacts. Thus this study reveals that Algeria has a seroprevalence rate less important than others countries.