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The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the first local confirmed case of cholera of 2023.

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The patient, a man in his 20s, developed symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain on June 28. He went to the doctor for repeated watery diarrhea and upper abdominal cramps, and returned home to rest after being tested and prescribed oral medicine. On July 3, a suspected strain was reported due to the culture of feces. On July 5, the test confirmed the infection with toxigenic Vibrio cholerae (serotype O1-Ogawa). At present, the symptoms of the case have improved, and there is no diarrhea.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the case had no recent travel history at home and abroad, and most of his three meals were lunch boxes outside. Health units have launched various epidemic prevention and control investigations to clarify possible sources of infection.

According to the statistics of the CDC, the cumulative number of local cases from 2019 to 2022 is 0, 1, 0, and 2 cases respectively, and the age distribution is in their 20s to 80s. All of them were detected with Vibrio cholerae serotype O1-Ogawa.

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Cholera is an acute bacterial enteric infection with an incubation period of usually 2 to 3 days and is transmitted through consumption of contaminated food or water. Because Vibrio cholerae has poor resistance to gastric acid, it usually takes a large amount of bacteria to cause disease. However, in people with insufficient gastric acid, gastrectomy or poor immune function, a small amount of bacteria may cause disease. Symptoms of infection include massive rice soup-like watery diarrhea, vomiting, rapid dehydration, acidosis, and circulatory failure.