Image of the Week: Cousins of Cholera

The image below is of Vibrio vulnificus, which as all of you undoubtedly know, is in the same family as Vibro cholerae.

From the CDC: ” [Vibrio vulnificus] normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called ‘halophilic’ because they require salt. V. vulnificus can cause disease in those who eat contaminated seafood or have an open wound that is exposed to contaminated seawater. Among healthy people, ingestion of V. vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In immunocompromised persons, particularly those with chronic liver disease, V. vulnificus can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock), and blistering skin lesions. V. vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time.”