Vibrio vulnificus
is a bacterium that can cause serious infections
Although most people can fight off the
harmful bacteria, some people may get serious infections.
People can get Vibrio vulnificus
infections in different ways
The bacterium is only found in saltwater.
People with weakened immune systems can get
Vibrio vulnificus infections by eating contaminated
seafood, such as raw or undercooked oysters, clams, mussels,
and other shellfish. Healthy people can get Vibrio
vulnificus infections in cuts or sores that get contaminated
with saltwater from a bay or an ocean.
Symptoms to look for after eating raw
or undercooked seafood may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
Symptoms can start from 12 to 72 hours
after eating infected food.
Symptoms to look for from infected
cuts or sores are:
- Redness, pain or swelling around the
cut that spreads quickly
- Cuts or sores that get larger and deeper
or blister
People at higher risk for a serious
infection are those who have:
- Chronic liver disease
- Alcoholism
- A weakened immune system (due to medication,
HIV or AIDS, etc.)
In these people, the bacteria can infect
the blood or cause serious skin infections; symptoms may
include fever, chills, and low blood pressure, and can
cause death if not treated.
Vibrio vulnificus can be treated
with antibiotics
Persons having these signs and symptoms
should call a doctor immediately. Make sure to tell the
doctor if you have eaten raw or under-cooked seafood or
have been exposed to saltwater in the last 3 days.
Vibrio vulnificus infection
can be prevented
- Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels)
completely. Do not eat shellfish that do not open during
cooking.
- Do not eat any raw shellfish.
- Do not let raw seafood touch cooked
seafood.
- Eat shellfish as soon as it is cooked
and refrigerate leftovers.
- Wear gloves when touching raw shellfish.
- Try to keep open cuts or sores away
from raw shellfish caught in saltwater.
- If you have open cuts and sores, do
not go into a bay or ocean.
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Maryland Department of Health
& Mental Hygiene — Epidemiology & Disease
Control Program
May 2002
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