Author(s)

Gideon Kwarteng Acheampong^1,2, Isaac Owusu^1,3, Fidelis Zumah^4,5*, Ernest Akyereko^6,7, Rebecca Ann Mpangah^1,3

¹Disease Surveillance Department, Ghana Health Service, Korle bu-Accra, Ghana.
²School of Public Heath, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
³Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana.
⁴School of Collective Intelligence, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Rabat, Morocco.
⁵University of Ghana Medical Centre Ltd., Accra, Ghana.
⁶Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
⁷Department of Environment and Public Health, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment & Sustainable Development, Sunyani, Ghana.

Background: In October 2016, a cholera outbreak occurred in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Central Region, Ghana, spreading rapidly in peri-urban communities. The Researchers conducted a descriptive analysis of surveillance data to examine the epidemiological characteristics of this outbreak. Methods: The retrospective analysis covered cholera cases from October to December 2016, focusing on onset date, age, sex, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results, and residence. Pearson’s chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests were used to find associations. Results: The outbreak comprised 731 cases, resulting in an overall attack rate of 67 per 100,000 population, with no reported fatalities. The epidemic curve exhibited multiple progressive peaks, indicative of a person-to-person transmission outbreak. The mean age of affected individuals was 23, and 40% of cases occurred in the 15 - 24 age group. There was no significant gender difference (p = 0.619). Cape Coast Metropolis accounted for nearly 90% of cases, while Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) and Komenda-Edina-Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) contributed to the remaining 10%. RDT results were significantly associated with bacterial culture (p < 0.001), and sex was linked to final case classification (p = 0.004). Conclusion: The Cholera outbreak was attributed to poor sanitation, hygiene, and water/food quality. Future interventions should prioritize addressing environmental and behavioural factors to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Cholera, Cape Coast Metropolis, Attack Rate, Retrospective Analysis

Acheampong, G.K., Owusu, I., Zumah, F., Akyereko, E. and Mpangah, R.A. (2023) Retrospective Study of an Epidemic Vibrio cholerae in the Central Region of Ghana: An Evidence from Surveillance Data. Open Access Library Journal, 10, 1-12. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1110603.