VIBRIOSIS

VIBRIOSIS


Eating raw, undercooked, or improperly refrigerated shellfish can lead to vibriosis, a bacterial disease most commonly seen in areas near the sea. Vibriosis can also occur as a result of wound contamination with seawater.



MORBIDITY: +




MORTALITY: + TO ++++




ETIOLOGY: BACTERIAL


Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are the two organisms responsible for most cases of vibriosis in people. They are curved gram-negative rods that require salt water to survive (halophiles). They are found as natural residents in seawater along the Atlantic coast up to Cape Cod, the Gulf of Mexico coast, and the entire Pacific coast. Vibrio grows best during the warmer months of summer when water is warmer.



HOSTS


V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus have been isolated from shellfish (including crustaceans, such as lobsters, crabs, and shrimp); mollusks (such as oysters, clams, scallops, cockles, and mussels); fin fish (such as mackerel, tuna, and sardines); seawater; sediment; and plankton.



TRANSMISSION


Oysters are the most common shellfish involved in infection in people. People become infected with V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus when they eat shellfish that has not been properly stored or cooked. If shellfish are not cleaned and cooled immediately after catching them, the bacteria will multiply rapidly. Even if the shellfish were cooled properly, they can still be infected and must be cooked thoroughly to prevent human infection. The Vibrio organisms adhere so tightly to the shellfish intestinal tract that washing the shellfish does not remove them. Freezing does not kill the organisms, and the bacteria can live for several months in frozen seafood.


Person-to-person transmission has not been documented. The presence of Vibrio spp. in seawater does not indicate fecal contamination of the water.


Existing wounds can become infected with contaminated seawater, or new wounds can occur by cutting any part of the body with sharp objects, such as fishhooks or coral. The new wounds can also become infected.



VIBRIOSIS IN ANIMALS


V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus cause asymptomatic contamination of shellfish and some fin fish. The presence of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus is not apparent because the organisms do not affect the smell, appearance, or taste of the shellfish or fish.

Related posts:

  1. ABOUT THE DISEASES
  2. CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS (VIBRIOSIS)
  3. MYCOBACTERIUM INFECTIONS (TUBERCULOSIS)
  4. PSITTACOSIS

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Oct 1, 2016 | Posted by in EXOTIC, WILD, ZOO | Comments Off on VIBRIOSIS

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