08/28/26 Public Health Education Topic: Vibrio

Per CDC:

Key points

• Vibrio are bacteria that naturally live in coastal waters.

• About a dozen kinds of Vibrio can cause people to get an infection called vibriosis.

• People can get vibriosis after swallowing Vibrio or getting it in a wound.

• Vibrio infection can be serious. Know when to seek medical care.

Symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of Vibrio infection

• Watery diarrhea

• Stomach cramps

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Fever

• Chills

Signs and symptoms of Vibrio bloodstream infection

• Fever

• Chills

• Dangerously low blood pressure

• Blistering skin lesions

Signs and symptoms of Vibrio wound infection

• Fever

• Redness

• Pain

• Swelling

• Warmth

• Discoloration (turning a color other than normal)

• Discharge (leaking fluids)

Complications

Some Vibrio species, such as Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections.

Some Vibrio infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. Some media reports call Vibrio vulnificus "flesh-eating bacteria." However, public health experts believe group A Streptococcus are the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis in the United States.

Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.

People at risk

Anyone can get a Vibrio infection.

Some medical conditions and treatments can increase your risk for infection and severe complications. They include:

• Having liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia

• Receiving immune-suppressing therapy for the treatment of disease

• Taking medicine to decrease stomach acid levels

• Having had recent stomach surgery

  
  

Some behaviors also can increase your risk of infection. These include:

• Eating raw seafood, particularly oysters

• Exposing an open wound to coastal waters

• Exposing an open wound to raw seafood or its drippings

To learn more please visit: About Vibrio Infection | Vibrio Infection | CDC