Brief overview
- Vibrions – Description: Group of bacteria, which occur world-wide particularly in warmer waters. They multiply particularly well at a certain salinity (e.g. Baltic Sea, Lake Neusiedl, lagoons).
- Vibrion diseases: Cholera and other gastrointestinal infections, wound infections, ear infections.
- Symptoms: In gastrointestinal infections, e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain (often particularly severe in cholera). In wound infections, painful, reddened, swollen wound, possibly deeper skin damage, fever and chills. In ear infections, ear pain, fever, and discharge of secretions from the ear.
- Diagnosis: Detection of vibrios in patient samples (e.g., stool sample, wound secretions).
- Prevention: good drinking water and food hygiene for cholera prevention in risk areas, cholera vaccination for certain at-risk persons; eat seafood and sea fish only well cooked; avoid contact with salty waters in summer if you have wounds, especially if you have a poor immune system or chronic skin diseases.
What are Vibrions?
Some vibrios can cause disease in humans, mainly Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus.
There are two strains (serogroups) of the Vibrio cholerae species that can cause the disease cholera. Other serogroups of V. cholerae, as well as other disease-causing Vibrio species (such as V. vulnificus), are not capable of doing so. They are therefore grouped together under the term “non-cholera vibrios”.
Vibrions feel particularly at home in warm water above 20 degrees Celsius – they can then reproduce more quickly. Global warming is therefore very likely to benefit them, because it also raises the temperature in the oceans and other bodies of water. As a result, cases of vibriosis could increase worldwide, but especially in temperate zones, scientists fear.
Vibrionia infections in Germany
In the few reports from the German North Sea coast, the affected persons had become infected with the pathogens in the area of river mouths. There, the water is somewhat less salty than in the open North Sea due to the influx of freshwater.
What diseases are caused by vibrios?
Vibrions are considered the main cause of bacterial gastrointestinal diseases in many countries. The best-known example is cholera, triggered by certain strains of Vibrio cholerae. However, non-cholera vibrios can also infect the digestive tract and cause disease.
How do you get infected with vibrios?
Vibrions, which cause gastrointestinal diseases, are transmitted orally. That is, they enter the body through the mouth. In the case of cholera, this usually happens through contaminated drinking water and food that contains pathogens through the feces or vomit of sick people. This danger exists particularly where hygienic conditions are poor, for example in poor regions of Africa and in refugee camps.
Gastrointestinal infections caused by non-cholera vibrios (such as V. vulnificus,V. parahaemolyticus) can also be caught by the oral route: Eating raw or undercooked seafood (e.g., oysters, mussels) or fish that come from contaminated waters can become a source of infection.
There have also been cases of wound infections where people had sustained small injuries while processing seafood or raw sea fish and had thus become infected with the pathogens.
Incubation period
What are the symptoms of a vibriosis infection?
The symptoms caused by vibrios depend on which part of the body they infect. If they enter the body via the mouth, they may cause gastrointestinal symptoms: affected persons may experience cramping abdominal pain, watery diarrhea and vomiting, and nausea. Particularly severe symptoms can occur with cholera, whereas other vibrios diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are usually milder.
The first sign of a wound infection with vibrios is usually that the infected wound is unusually painful. In addition, the wound and surrounding skin may be reddened and swollen. A superficial infection can spread quickly and damage deeper tissue if left untreated. Affected persons then usually develop fever and chills. Wound infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus can be particularly severe and life-threatening, especially for immunocompromised people.
Whether gastrointestinal, wound or ear infections: In all cases, a life-threatening “blood poisoning” (sepsis) can develop in a severe course.
How is a vibriosis infection treated?
Doctors treat vibrion infections with antibiotics. In addition, they give medications for the respective symptoms, for example fever reducers and painkillers. Whether further measures are necessary depends on the particular disease and its course.
Cholera must be treated as soon as possible! The loss of fluids and salt due to severe diarrhea and vomiting can be compensated with special drinks, drinking solutions and infusions. Doctors also prescribe antibiotics.
You can learn more about cholera therapy here.
Therapy of infections with non-cholera vibrios
This is particularly true for patients with an increased risk of severe disease progression. These include people of advanced age and those with a weakened immune system, for example due to pre-existing conditions such as severe heart disease, cancer, diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver.
Severe wound infections often require surgical treatment. If the wound is on the leg or arm, for example, surgeons may have to remove the affected limb (amputation) in extreme cases.
A vibrios infection can be reliably diagnosed by a laboratory detecting the pathogens in patient samples. Depending on the case, doctors may take blood or swabs from the suspected wounds. In the case of diarrhea, a stool sample is useful. The laboratory can then prepare a bacterial culture: The bacteria can be cultivated on a suitable nutrient medium and then precisely identified. It is possible to see the pathogens under the microscope.
Obligation to report
Acute infections caused by non-cholera vibrios are also reportable. Exception: If someone has an ear infection only, this must be reported to the health authorities only if Vibrio cholerae is the trigger.
How can vibrions be prevented?
Also, avoid ice cubes in drinks and raw food in the affected areas. And disinfect your hands regularly – most people unconsciously touch their mouths from time to time. Pathogens on the hands can thus easily enter the body. There is now also a cholera vaccination.
You can find out how it works and for whom it is recommended in our article Cholera.
When preparing such food, be careful not to injure your skin. Otherwise there is a risk of wound infection.
