A case of Vibrio vulnificus infection.

Vibrio vulnificus, a recently described strain of the halophilic Vibrio species, was isolated from the blood of a 73-year-old man, who developed rapidly progressive wound infection and fatal septicemia. Twenty-one patients with Vibrio vulnificus infection have been reported in the Japanese literature. Vibrio vulnificus most frequently causes primary septicemia and necrotising cellulitis after the eating of raw fish or shellfish or after exposure to seawater. The infection is characterized by its occurring during the warm months of the year, in patients with underlying diseases, especially liver diseases, and the mortality rate is surprisingly high. Clinicians should therefore consider the possibility of Vibrio vulnificus infection in the differential diagnosis of severe wound infections. Early surgical intervention and intensive antibiotic therapy are recommended for preventing the progress of the septicemia.