Vibrio are bacteria naturally found in coastal waters, causing an estimated 80,000 illnesses in the US annually. The risk of infection is highest from May through October, when warm waters create ideal conditions that foster bacterial growth, and human exposure through water activities or raw seafood consumption is highest. Vibriosis symptoms typically include watery diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills; the V. vulnificus species can cause severe, life-threatening infections, with 150-200 cases reported annually in the US and a 20 percent case fatality rate. V. vulnificus is usually transmitted through open wounds exposed to salt or brackish water, and in about 10 percent of cases via eating raw or undercooked shellfish.
