Weymouth Laboratory, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UB, England.
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Environ Microbiol. 2018 Feb;20(2):423-430. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.13955. Epub 2017 Dec 29.
Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram-negative aquatic bacterium first isolated by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1964. This bacterium is part of the normal microbiota of estuarine waters and occurs in high numbers in molluscan shellfish around the world, particularly in warmer months. Infections in humans are derived from consumption of seafood produce and from water exposure. Vibrio vulnificus is a striking and enigmatic human pathogen, yet many aspects related to its biology, genomics, virulence capabilities and epidemiology remain elusive and poorly understood. This pathogen is responsible for over 95% of seafood-related deaths in the United States, and carries the highest fatality rate of any food-borne pathogen. Indeed, infections associated with this pathogen that progress to primary septicaemia have a similar case fatality rate to category BSL 3 and 4 pathogens, such as anthrax, bubonic plague, Ebola and Marburg fever. Interestingly, V. vulnificus infections disproportionately affect males (∼85% of cases) and older patients (> 40 years), especially those with underlying conditions such as liver diseases, diabetes and immune disorders. New insights from molecular studies and comparative genomic approaches have offered tantalising insights into this pathogen. A recent increase and geographical spread in reported infections, in particular wound cases, underlines the growing international importance of V. vulnificus, particularly in the context of coastal warming. We outline and explore here a range of current data gaps regarding this important pathogen, and provide some current thoughts on approaches to elucidate key aspects associated with this bacterium.
创伤弧菌是一种革兰氏阴性水生细菌，于 1964 年首次被美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）分离出来。这种细菌是港湾水域正常微生物群的一部分，在世界各地的贝类中大量存在，尤其是在温暖的月份。人类感染源于食用海鲜产品和接触水。创伤弧菌是一种引人注目的神秘人类病原体，但与其生物学、基因组学、毒力能力和流行病学相关的许多方面仍然难以捉摸且了解甚少。这种病原体是美国 95%以上与海鲜相关的死亡事件的罪魁祸首，其死亡率是所有食源性病原体中最高的。事实上，与这种病原体相关的进展为原发性败血症的感染，其病死率与炭疽、腺鼠疫、埃博拉和马尔堡热等 BSL3 和 BSL4 病原体相似。有趣的是，创伤弧菌感染男性（约 85%的病例）和老年患者（>40 岁）的比例不成比例，特别是那些患有肝脏疾病、糖尿病和免疫紊乱等潜在疾病的患者。分子研究和比较基因组方法的新见解为这种病原体提供了诱人的见解。最近，报告感染病例（尤其是伤口病例）的增加和地理范围的扩大，突显了创伤弧菌在全球范围内的重要性日益增加，特别是在沿海地区变暖的背景下。我们在这里概述并探讨了与这种重要病原体相关的一系列当前数据空白，并就阐明与该细菌相关的关键方面提供了一些当前的思路。
