Vibrio Vulnificus

Most people get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Some people get vibriosis after an open wound comes in contact with coastal waters.

Ingestion of Vibrio vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Vibrio vulnificus can also cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater; these infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulcers.

Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time. A recent study showed that people with these pre-existing medical conditions were 80 times more likely to develop Vibrio vulnificus bloodstream infections than healthy people.

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)

Vibrio vulnificus infection is diagnosed by stool, wound, or blood cultures. Notifying the laboratory when this infection is suspected helps because a special growth medium should be used to increase the diagnostic yield. Doctors should have a high suspicion for this organism when patients present with stomach illness, fever or shock following the ingestion of raw seafood, especially oysters, or with a wound infection after exposure to seawater.

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

Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection require intensive care or limb amputations, and about 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.

If Vibrio vulnificus is suspected, treatment should be initiated immediately. View treatment recommendations by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Do not eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish.
• Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly.
• For shellfish in the shell, either a) boil until the shells open and continue boiling for 5 more minutes, or b) steam until the shells open and then continue cooking for 9 more minutes. Do not eat those shellfish that do not open during cooking. Boil shucked oysters at least 3 minutes, or fry them in oil at least 10 minutes at 375°F.
• Avoid cross-contamination of cooked seafood and other foods with raw seafood and juices from raw seafood.
• Eat shellfish promptly after cooking and refrigerate leftovers.
• Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water, or to raw shellfish harvested from such waters.
• Wear protective clothing (e.g., gloves) when handling raw shellfish.

Individuals who are immunocompromised, e.g chronic liver disease, kidney disease, or weakened immune system, should wear proper foot protection to prevent cuts and injury caused by rocks and shells on the beach.

If you suspect that a food is contaminated or has made you or someone that you know sick, report it to the regulatory agency:

Florida Public Food Services
Florida Department of Health regulates facilities located inside institutions, including: hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and jails, in addition to bars that do not serve food.

Florida Retail Food Outlets
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates products purchased at a retail businesses such as a bakery, grocery store, supermarket, convenience store, retail meat or seafood market, health food store, or dairy or dairy farm.

Florida Public Food Service Establishments
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation regulates restaurants, mobile units serving non-packaged food, temporary events, food trucks, and vending machines (serving milk and/or sandwiches).

Florida Childcare Facilities
The Florida Department of Children and Families regulates the conditions at childcare facilities.

Florida Hospital or Nursing Home
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration regulates hospitals, health care facilities, and medicaid managed care.

National Brand Complaints
File a complaint regarding an U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulated human or animal product (e.g. defects in the quality or safety of a product, labeling issue), adverse health experience (e.g. injury, illness, death associated with a product).

Confirmed Cases of Vibrio Vulnificus

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Cases By Year

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* In 2022 Collier and Lee counties experiences unusual increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian.

‡ In 2024 Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties experiences unusual increase due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

Isolation of a species of the family Vibrionaceae (other than toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 or O139, which are reported as cholera) from a clinical specimen.

• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• Vibrio vulnificus