Pathogenic Vibrio species in the marine and estuarine environment

The genus Vibrio includes more than 30 species, at least 12 of which are pathogenic to humans and/or have been associated with foodborne diseases (Chakraborty et al., 1997). Among these species, Vibrio cholerae, serogroups O1 and O139, are the most important, since they are associated with epidemic and pandemic diarrhea outbreaks in many parts of the world (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1995; Kaper et al., 1995). However, other species of vibrios capable of causing diarrheal disease in humans have received greater attention in the last decade. These include Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a leading cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in Japan and Korea (Lee et al., 2001), Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio damsela, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio furnissii, Vibrio hollisae, Vibrio metschnikovii, and Vibrio mimicus (Altekruse et al., 2000; Høi et al., 1997). In the USA, Vibrio species have been estimated to be the cause of about 8000 illnesses annually (Mead et al., 1999).