Role of Microbiological Surveillance in Controlling Cholera in Endemic Communities of Bayelsa and Rivers States

Cholera remains an endemic public health emergency in riverine communities of Nigeria's South South zone, where environmental contamination, flooding, and inadequate WASH infrastructure sustain transmission cycles. This study evaluates the role of microbiological surveillance in identifying, containing, and preventing cholera in endemic communities of Bayelsa and Rivers States. Water, environmental, and stool sample surveillance data were obtained from State Ministry of Health records for a three-year period, supplemented by fieldwork involving collection and analysis of 80 environmental samples from high-burden communities. Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 isolation, biotyping, and antibiogram profiling were performed. Surveillance data analysis reveals significant gaps in outbreak reporting timeliness, with an average of 9 days between symptom onset and laboratory confirmation. Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor was consistently isolated from river water and household storage containers in all outbreak epicentres. Resistance to cotrimoxazole and ampicillin was near universal, while tetracycline and doxycycline remained effective. Communities with active community health worker surveillance networks reported 56 percent faster outbreak responses than those without. Professional recommendations include establishment of a real-time South South cholera microbiological surveillance platform, community water chlorination programmes, and dedicated WASH intervention funding for flood-prone LGAs. Keywords: cholera surveillance, Vibrio cholerae, Bayelsa, Rivers State, WASH