Diarrhoeal diseases. Gastroenteritis and cholera epidemic, 1991.

In summary, during 1991, a substantial cholera outbreak occurred in Nepal. It presented as one of the causes of a multicausal gastroenteritis epidemic which reportedly resulted in nearly 92,000 cases and 1,800 deaths. The 1991 epidemic appeared to have been more severe with a longer duration than the epidemic which occurred in 1990. The overall case-fatality rate was 2.0%. Cholera was confirmed in 63% of faecal specimens processed, compared with 46% during the 1990 epidemic. Specimens from the first and last laboratory-confirmed cases were collected on 14 June and 26 September 1991, respectively. The presence of cholera was confirmed in all 5 development regions in the country. Contaminated public water supplies probably contributed to sustaining disease transmission, at least in urban areas.