Vibrio alginolyticus wound infection: case report and review.

Vibrio alginolyticus was associated with a littoral wound infection in an Arizonan injured near the Sea of Cortez. While this is the first instance from this estuary, the relatively recent increase in the number of isolates suggests both that most coastal waters are a natural habitat of the organism and that probably many previous isolates were incorrectly identified in the past. Mischaracterization most likely results from a gram-negative work-up routine deficient for the isolation of halophilic organisms. The morbid course of this case was in part predictable owing to the organism's resistance to several first choice antibiotics. The laboratory characteristics of V. alginolyticus and others in the Vibrio genus associated with maritime disease are reviewed.