Abstract:

Vibrio (family Vibrionaceae) is a genus that has been of concern in human diseases and water analysis for many years. It includes more than 100 named species, but only 12 occur in human clinical specimens (Table 9278:1). Eleven of these apparently cause human infections. Vibrio species usually cause either diarrhea or extraintestinal infections,^1–3 but some, such as Vibriocholerae, can cause both. Most human infections are related to water exposure, either water itself or through animals, such as fish and shellfish, that live in water. Several reviews describe the Vibrio genus and provide details for isolation and identification.^1–8 In this section, the general term “vibrio” (plural “vibrios”) refers to a member of the genus Vibrio or Photobacterium. (See lpsn.dsmz.de/genus/vibrio for a complete species listing.)