In order to understand the epidemiological trends of cholera outbreaks in the region, there is need for further studies to determine evolutionary trends among strains isolated from the African region and compare them with those from other parts of the world. Authors’ information JNK is a research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and doctoral fellow at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. BMN 673 solubility dmso He holds an MSc (Microbiology) and MSc (Molecular Biology, K.U.Leuven) where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Bioscience Engineering
at the Department of Biosystems. His work is supported by a scholarship from the Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad (VLIR), Belgium. SMK, NCW and SMS are Scientists at
KEMRI, Kenya. SMK is a Wellcome Trust Research fellow and an opinion leader in the field of antibiotic buy C646 resistance in the East African region while NCW is the former Director Centre for Microbiology Research, KEMRI. BMG is Professor of immunology at the K.U.Leuven (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering) and the University of Ghent (UGent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), Belgium while PB is a Senior Research Scientist at the Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (VAR) and an expert in the field of antibiotic resistance in Belgium. URMC-099 chemical structure He is also a Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at UGent. Acknowledgements This work was supported by a PhD scholarship grant: BBTP2007-0009-1086 from Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad (VLIR), Belgium. Further support for fieldwork and laboratory supplies was provided by the Nagasaki University Institute for Tropical Medicine (NUITM). The authors would wish to thank the Disease Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, Kenya for providing information on past cholera Thymidine kinase outbreaks. We also thank the following KEMRI members
of staff for their support in this work: John Mwaniki, Ian Waweru, Ronald Ng’etich, Ayub Ongechi, Teresia wangare, and Jane Muyodi. We are also grateful to the staff members at VAR: Danielle, Mieke, Annemieke, Pierre and all those who helped materially and technically during molecular characterization of the strains in Belgium. This work is published with permission from the Director, KEMRI. References 1. World Health Organization: Global Task Force on Cholera Control. Cholera Country profile: Kenya. [http://www.who.int/cholera/countries/KenyaCountryProfileMay2008.pdf] 2. World Health Organization: Cholera, 1998. Wkly Epidemiol Rec 1999, 74:257–264. 3. World Health Organization: Cholera, 1999. Wkly Epidemiol Rec 2000, 75:249–256. 4. Mugoya I, Kariuki S, Galgalo T, Njuguna C, Omollo J, Njoroge J, Kalani R, Nzioka C, Tetteh C, Bedno S, Breiman RF, Feikin DR: Rapid spread of Vibrio cholerae O1 throughout Kenya, 2005. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2008, 78:527–533.PubMed 5. Iwanaga M, Mori K, Kaviti JN:Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated in Kenya. J Clin Microbiol 1982,16(4):742–743.PubMed 6.