Two cases of septic shock with different outcomes caused by non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolates

Abstract

In recent decades, increasing numbers of human infections have been linked to non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae. Septicemia resulting from non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae infection is rare but has high mortality. The pathogenesis of non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae septicemia is poorly understood. Here, we report two sporadic cases of septicemia following non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae infection from an inland area of China. Patient 1 died rapidly within 24 hours, while patient 2 gradually recovered from septic shock. To explore the reasons for these divergent outcomes, we compared the two cases, tested the antibiotic sensitivity of the two isolates, and investigated their virulence genes and sequence types.