Intestinal parasites affect cholera immunity

People with cholera who are also infected with parasitic intestinal worms are far less likely to be immune to future cholera infection, a study has found.

Research from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh found that parasitic infection may also reduce the effectiveness of vaccines against cholera.

The study's lead author, Jason Harris, of the MGH Division of Infectious Disease, said: "It's been a puzzle as to why cholera vaccines that initially look so promising in trials in volunteers in Europe and the US have been much less effective in inducing a strong immune system response in countries where cholera occurs.

"Our study supports the idea that co-infection with intestinal worms may be part of the explanation for that discrepancy."

He called for more studies to investigate the relationship between cholera and intestinal worms further.

Intestinal worms such as helminths are common in areas where cholera is endemic.

News brought to you by Global Health TV, covering the issues of health in the developing world