Fish: a potential source of bacterial pathogens for human beings

Abstract

Human infections caused by pathogens transmitted from fish or the aquatic environment are quite common and depend on the season, patients’ contact with fish and related environment, dietary habits and the immune system status of the exposed individual. They are often bacterial species facultatively pathogenic for both fish and human beings and may be isolated from fish without apparent symptoms of the disease. The infection source may be fish kept for both for food and as a hobby. Human infections and intoxications with the following bacteria have been recorded: Mycobacterium spp., Streptococcus iniae, Photobacterium damselae, Vibrio alginolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas spp., Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens, Campylobacter jejuni, Delftia acidovorans, Edwardsiella tarda, Legionella pneumophila, and Plesiomonas shigelloides. Fish tissue histamine intoxications of people have frequently been described. The purpose of the present paper was to elaborate an overview of significant bacterial causative agents of human diseases transmitted from fish used as food or by handling them.