Global mapping of cholera Vibrio and outbreaks in the Pre-Millennium Development Goals (MDG)/Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and MDGs/SDGs era of 1990–2019

Vibrio species and cholera outbreak yet remain a frequent health emergency despite progress made in integrated implementation of the MDGs/SDGs/WASH worldwide. Hence, this study aimed at appraising the impacts of MDGs/SDGs/WASH campaigns on the mitigation of cholera outbreak and associated consequences. The study mapped scientific production related to Vibrio outbreak from 1990 to 2019, identified trend, institutional/international concerted efforts toward outbreak research/response and gaps for future preparedness. Relevant documents were identified from the Web of Science database using an optimised title-field specific search Boolean that accommodated all pre-set inclusion criteria for the study. A total of 901 documents were identified including 869 available abstracts were retrieved for content-review of human incidence cases, mortality, culprit Vibrio species, strains, and biotypes. Explanatory analysis showed that the trend of outbreak documents approximately increased in 6th order quadratic relationship (R(2) = 0.7948) from 1990 to 2019 with an annual growth rate of 3.21% and a mean value of 30.0 ± 18.0 per year. Other details revealed an increased and undulating case report/mortality rate of cholera outbreaks especially in the MDGs/SDGs era. Decadal comparison of Vibrio outbreak during the period showed significant variation in documents distribution (Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.00077). based on countries’ efforts, the USA, ranked first in terms of article numbers (191), publication frequency (24.6(%) and total citations (5962). Four prevailing conceptual frameworks were identified in the outbreak documents with global community interest revealed as the largest topical coverage. All conceptual frameworks consisted in Vibrio characterisation, methodology-related, intervention-related, geographic-related concepts and some replete with health and climate-change depicting concepts. Also, the study observed high mortality in Vibrio outbreaks during 1990–1999 (29080 deaths), and 2010–2019 (386606 deaths) compared to 2000–2009 (7705 deaths) (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05). High number of outbreaks due to V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus and a limited outbreaks attributed to emerging strains. In conclusion, vibrio outbreak has not lived up to various investment put into its control from various programme evolutions. The broad spectrum Vibrio vaccines that could cater for outbreak caused by common and emerging strains is inevitable and a significant thrust for future research.