Epidemiology
Vibrio infections in the US are reported through the Cholera and Other Vibrio Illness Surveillance (COVIS) system, which tracks Vibrio species and risk factors for infection. CDC: Cholera and Other Vibrio Illness Surveillance (COVIS) Opens in new window In 2019, 2708 cases of non-cholera Vibrio infection were reported, compared with 1252 cases reported in 2014.[5]Vibrio parahaemolyticus was the most frequently reported species, being identified in 41% of culture-confirmed infections. Other less commonly identified species were Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio fluvialis.[5]
V vulnificus is responsible for the highest proportion of deaths. The majority of cases in 2019 were classified as foodborne and some outbreaks in the US in recent years have been linked to seafood consumption.[5] In 2018, an outbreak of 26 cases of V parahaemolyticus infection was reported in the US, linked to consumption of fresh crab meat imported from Venezuela.[6] In 2019, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness affecting 16 people across five US states was linked to consumption of raw oysters, harvested in Mexico. In some of those affected, V parahaemolyticus and Vibrio albensis were causative pathogens.[7] In 2022, an outbreak of vibriosis in Florida was associated with flood waters following a hurricane, with 38 reported cases and 11 associated deaths.[8] In the majority of cases, V vulnificus was the causative pathogen.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that between 1988-2018, V vulnificus infections in the Eastern US increased eightfold.[9] The increased risk has been associated with rising coastal water temperatures, which allows V vulnificus to thrive, and severe weather events, which exposes more people to the water. The CDC reminds healthcare professionals to consider V. vulnificus as a possible cause of infected wounds that were exposed to coastal waters, particularly in areas of warmer sea surface temperatures.[9]
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