Vibrio parahaemolyticus in humans

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is now a well-established causative agent of gastroenteritis. It is associated with outbreaks of food poisoning, occasionally resulting in fatality, due to ingestion of contaminated seafood such as uncooked shellfish, crabs, clams, shrimps, lobsters etc. The organism is becoming increasingly important in vibrio-induced diarrhoea world-wide. Contact with contaminated water, accidental injury caused by stepping on broken shells or fish bites are other risk factors, especially for the extra-intestinal manifestations of V. parahaemolyticus infections. Two clinical syndromes are produced, one with mild and one with explosive diarrhoea. However, both are usually self-limiting. In West Africa, the frequency of V. parahaemolyticus-induced diarrhoea is directly related to the temperature and inversely to the rainfall patterns, with bimodal peaks in the dry period between November and March. Clinically-important urease-positive strains are now emerging and laboratories employing a positive urease test to screen out potential enteric pathogens may miss quite a number of isolates. At present, probes and serological methods have no application in the routine laboratory diagnosis of infections. Although tetracycline remains the drug of choice in severely ill patients with systemic involvement, the organism is also sensitive to chloramphenicol, gentamicin and tobramycin. Currently, there are not enough data concerning the antibody response to V. parahaemolyticus infection. However, it would appear that in an endemic population, protective immunity may develop following natural infection.