| VIBRIO VULNIFICUS - USA (02): (FLORIDA)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: 17 Jun 2014
Source: The Global Dispatch [edited]
http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/florida-reports-six-vibrio-vulnificus-cases-to-date-in-2014-encourages-awareness-of-public-28337/
As summer arrives and the waters get warmer, The Florida Department of Health is urging Floridians with certain health conditions to avoid eating raw oysters and exposing open wounds to seawater and estuarine water, which may harbor bacteria called _Vibrio vulnificus_.
Health officials have already reported 6 cases in 2013, 4 due to the infection of an open wound and 2 from consuming raw shellfish.
Persons who have wounds, cuts or scratches and wade in estuarine areas or seawater where the bacteria might be present can become ill. Symptoms of _Vibrio vulnificus_ in wound infections typically include swelling, pain and redness at the wound site. Other symptoms of _Vibrio vulnificus_ infection include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, and the formation of blistering skin lesions. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should contact a physician immediately for diagnosis and treatment.
Individuals with liver disease, including hepatitis C and cirrhosis, are most at risk for developing serious illness from _Vibrio vulnificus_ obtained from eating raw oysters. Others who should avoid consuming raw shellfish are those with hemochromatosis (iron overload), diabetes, cancer, stomach disorders or any illness or treatment that weakens the immune system. Thoroughly cooking oysters, either by frying, stewing, or roasting, eliminates harmful bacteria and viruses in the meat. Consuming raw oysters that have undergone a post-harvest treatment process to eliminate the bacteria can also reduce the risk of illness.
Florida reported 41 cases of _Vibrio vulnificus_ infection in 2013.
[Byline: Robert Herriman]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The following is extracted from the "Bad Bug Book," Center for Safety and Applied Nutrition, US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), at http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf:
_Vibrio vulnificus_, a lactose-fermenting, halophilic, Gram negative, opportunistic pathogen, is found in estuarine environments and is associated with various marine species such as plankton, shellfish (oysters, clams, and crabs), and finfish. Environmental factors responsible for controlling numbers of _V. vulnificus_ in seafood and in the environment include temperature, pH [acidity], salinity, and amounts of dissolved organics. It may be normal flora in salt water, and acquiring this organism from shellfish or water exposure does not imply that the water is contaminated by sewage.
Wound infections result either from contaminating an open wound with sea water harboring the organism or by lacerating part of the body on coral, fish, etc., followed by contamination with the organism. The ingestion of _V. vulnificus_ by healthy individuals can result in gastroenteritis.
The "primary septicemia" form of the disease follows consumption of raw seafood containing the organism by individuals with underlying chronic disease, particularly liver disease. The organism can also enter through damaged skin. In these individuals, the microorganism enters the blood stream, resulting in septic shock, rapidly followed by death in many cases (about 50 percent). Over 70 per cent of infected individuals have distinctive bullous skin lesions (shown at http://safeoysters.org/medical/diagnosis.html).
There are 2 points to be emphasized: that vibrios are normal flora in warm saltwater (not indicative of any sewage contamination), and that most of the life-threatening illnesses occur in individuals with underlying medical illnesses, including immunocompromised states, chronic liver disease, and diabetes. So-called normal individuals often just get gastroenteritis. The range of disease due to _V. vulnificus_ can include more northern geographical areas if the area is affected by a substantial heat wave. - Mod.LL
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/212.]
See Also
Vibrio vulnificus - USA: (FL) 20140614.2537964
Vibrio infections - USA 20140422.2417887
2013
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Vibrio vulnificus - USA (04): (FL) fatal 20131013.1999427
Vibrio vulnificus - USA (03): (FL) fatal, alert 20131001.1977219
Vibrio vulnificus - USA (02): (FL) prevention 20130801.1858411
Vibrio vulnificus - USA: (LA) 20130716.1827523
2012
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Vibrio vulnificus, fatal - China (03): (HK) 20121008.1326528
Vibrio vulnificus - USA: (FL) fatal 20120816.1247707
Vibrio vulnificus, fatal - China (02): (HK) 20120623.1178668
Vibrio vulnificus, fatal - China: (HK) 20120531.1150595
Necrotizing fasciitis - USA: (HI), Vibrio vulnificus suspected 20120317.1072640 |