Intoxicación Por Vibrio Parahaemolyticus

Abstract

The first vibrio discovered was vibrio cholerae, in 1854. In 1953, vibrio parahaemolyticus was associated for the first time with food poisoning in Japan. In Chile there have been three vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreaks, in 1997, 2004 and 2005 respectively. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram negative bacillus, facultative anaerobe, motile and halophilic. The bacterium is found normally in Chilean coasts, but this does not imply a permanent infection risk. Special conditions that promote microorganism proliferation (e.g. a rise in seawater temperatures) results in an increase of infection risk. Shellfish, mostly bivalves, can accumulate enough amounts of the microorganism to cause infection. Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes three different syndromes: gastroenteritis, septicemia and wound infection, the first one being the most frecuent. The incubation period is 4-96 hours, with an average of 15 hours. Typical symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and cephalea. Symptoms resolves in 3 days (range 1 to 7 days). The diagnostic is confirmed through a stool culture in a selective media. Mainstay of gastroenteritis treatment is maintenance of the patient hydration status. Important prevention measures recommended are: not eating raw seafood products, boiling shellfish during 5-15 minutes before eating them, avoiding cross contamination, maintaining food cold chain, rapidly cooling and refrigeration of seafood products after cooked, avoiding contact of wounds with contaminated material, not eating seafood products from unreliable sources.