What you need to know about Vibrio bacteria



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"These are interesting organisms and range from the massive global epidemic – cholera – to infrequent but deadly infections – Vibrio vulnificus," said Rita Colwell, a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. the University of Maryland. and former director of the National Science Foundation.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 12 species of Vibrio bacteria that cause diseases in humans, known as vibriosis. About 80% of infections occur between May and October, when the waters are warmer, and usually after a person eats infected shells.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio alginolyticus are the three most common species that cause the disease in the United States, reports the CDC. Another notable strain, Vibrio cholerae, is not prevalent in the United States.

Symptoms of Vibrio infection include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Treatment is not always necessary, and serious illnesses are rare, but doctors prescribe antibiotics in more persistent cases, according to the agency.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the most frequently reported species, responsible for 45,000 of the 80,000 Vibrio diseases per year in the United States. States, says the CDC.

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" It is associated with the ingestion of seafood. It has been properly cooked, or properly stored and then not properly cooked, "said Colwell." And also by taking oysters or seafood into contaminated areas, this that people sometimes do, especially in Florida or the Gulf, where there is a sign that says "no fishing" but oysters get bigger and bigger, eat them. "

Vibrio alginolyticus usually causes infections in the body. Ear and ear swimmer, said James D. Oliver, a professor of microbiology at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

"Personally, this is not something that concerns me," said Oliver, who is also a member of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Vibrio vulnificus, however, is an infection to be wary of, he said.

Bacteria reside in seafood and brackish water (fresh and salt water). They can cause an infection of the skin when cuts and open wounds are exposed to contaminated water. There are about 205 infections a year, says the CDC, but one in four people die, and some have to undergo amputations to stop the spread of infected tissue. Vibrio vulnificus is sometimes mislabeled as a "flesh-eating" bacterium, although it damages the skin.

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Vibrio vulnificus is very susceptible to antibiotics, but the drug has to be administered quickly, in a day or two, said Oliver. If there is an indication of infection such as redness and swelling, a person should consult a doctor, he said.

Very young, very old, and individuals who have suppressed immune systems or high levels of iron in the body are particularly at risk, said Colwell.

"In people with liver disease – which could be hepatitis or cirrhosis or another liver disease – these are chronic conditions damaging to the liver," Oliver said. "Its cells are destroyed, releasing iron into the bloodstream, and the iron released exceeds the capacity of your blood to sequester it. So, you essentially get free iron in the blood, and this allows these bacteria to proliferate very, very quickly "

Paul A. Gulig, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Florida, noted that" for raw oysters, by far most people who become seriously ill have the predisposing conditions But […] you can be healthy and catch the sore because you introduce the bacteria into your tissues. "

The CDC recommendations to reduce the risk of any form of Vibrio infection are from do not eat raw or poorly cooked shellfish, especially oysters, and avoid swimming in brackish and estuarine water if you have broken skin (or at least wear a bandage im permeable)

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Although Vibrio cholerae is not a major health problem in the United States, there are between 1.3 and 4 million cases of cholera and To 143,000 deaths each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

"If people are traveling to places where it is endemic, they can pick it up and bring it back," Gulig said. "But it's not an illness that people pick up when they're in the US, we do not have it in our water and our food, it's mostly a disease of the people." developing countries due to poor sanitation and poor hydration. " [19659009] Most people who are infected have no symptoms or are mild to moderate. Cholera also causes watery diarrhea that can be treated by replacing fluid loss with water and electrolytes and sometimes with antibiotics. If left untreated, severe dehydration can result in death within hours.

"For cholera, I would say that people traveling to endemic areas travel abroad and look at the CDC recommendations on vaccination. new vaccines, "said Gulig.

Changes in recent years in Vibrio tests, from bacterial cultures to new tests that may offer less information about the specific strain of Vibrio causing infection, have made difficult for the CDC to compare changes from year to year, says Dr. Karen Wong, doctor at the agency.

"But we have noticed that over the years we have seen Vibrio infections in places we had not seen them before, "Wong said, pointing to infections in more northern parts of the country.

argue that warmer climates account for the increase in infections, Calling for the microbial equivalent of a canary in a coal mine.

"With warmer temperatures, Vibrios proliferate," Colwell said. "They're growing in numbers, and they're outpacing their competitors who [ad_2]
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