definition
Vibrio spp., belonging to the family Vibrionaceae, are Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, facultatively anaerobic curved rods characterized by motility, facilitated by polar or lateral flagella. They require sodium ions for optimal growth, reflecting their natural affinity for marine, estuarine, and coastal waters, as well as their unique adaptation to warm, saline, and brackish environments.
Their proliferation is strongly influenced by factors such as temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability. Moreover, their ability to form biofilms on diverse surfaces enhances survival in natural waters and aquaculture systems while contributing to persistence in food production environments.
The genus includes twenty species of clinical significance, notably Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera. Other non-cholera vibrios, such as V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, and V. vulnificus, are also important, as they cause vibriosis and are commonly linked to foodborne gastroenteritis and severe wound infections.
Vibrio cholerae infections are associated with acute gastroenteritis, driven by virulence factors such as thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH), TDH-related hemolysin (TRH), and cholera toxin, which disrupts ion transport in intestinal epithelial cells.
Other Vibrio species produce various virulence factors, including hemolysins and proteases, contributing to tissue damage. In particular, V. vulnificus can cause fatal septicemia in susceptible individuals.
Infection is primarily acquired through consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood or exposure to contaminated water via ingestion or wound infections. Symptoms range from acute gastroenteritis—characterized by intense watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, fever, and chills—to severe vibriosis, which, especially in the case of V. vulnificus, can lead to septicemia and death in high-risk individuals.
food matrices
