Ongoing Cholera Epidemic - Tanzania, 2015-2016

On Aug 15, 2015, the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children was notified about a case of acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration in a patient in Dar es Salaam. As of Nov 26, 2016, the current epidemic continues, affecting 23 (92%) of 25 regions in mainland Tanzania (excluding the Zanzibar archipelago), with a cumulative reported case count of 23,258 and a cumulative CFR of 1.5%. The Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program and CDC in the US and Tanzania evaluated cholera mortality reporting in Dar es Salaam; 81 deaths were identified during Aug 15, 2015-Oct 28, 2015. Cholera treatment center (CTC) records revealed that 21 (26%) patients died in CTCs. Municipal burial permits recorded 60 (74%) cholera deaths in the community. These results motivated follow-up interviews with decedents' family members to identify characteristics associated with an increased risk for death from cholera in January 2016.