First Detection of Vibrio vulnificus Bacteria This Year on the West Coast of Chungnam

On the 12th, a Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment official is collecting seawater at Hanjin Port in Dangjin City. Provided by Chungnam Province

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Vibrio vulnificus, the bacterium causing Vibrio sepsis, was detected for the first time this year in seawater off the west coast of Chungnam.

According to the Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment on the 20th, Vibrio vulnificus was detected in seawater collected on the 12th from Hanjin Port in Dangjin City.

Compared to last year when Vibrio vulnificus was first detected on May 27, this year’s detection time is about a month earlier. The Institute plans to consider implementing the Vibrio outbreak prediction project earlier as a preemptive preventive measure.

Vibrio sepsis is a third-class legally designated infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus. Patients typically begin to appear from May to June when seawater temperatures rise above 18℃, with cases concentrated between August and September.

The infection route is mostly through eating raw seafood contaminated with the bacteria or when people with wounds come into contact with contaminated seawater.

It mainly occurs in high-risk groups with underlying conditions such as chronic liver disease, alcoholism, and diabetes, rather than in generally healthy individuals.

After an incubation period of 1 to 2 days following infection with Vibrio vulnificus, symptoms such as wound infections and primary sepsis develop, accompanied by systemic symptoms like sudden chills and fever, as well as diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and skin lesions.

The fatality rate is about 50%, which is high among infectious diseases. Therefore, the Institute emphasizes that accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment are of utmost importance.

In Chungnam, infection cases have been recorded as follows: 3 infected and 2 deaths in 2017, 6 infected and 2 deaths in 2018, 1 infected and 1 death in 2019, and 9 infected and 4 deaths in 2020.

Choi Jin-ha, director of the Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment, stated, “Avoid eating raw seafood during the summer, and high-risk groups for Vibrio sepsis must strictly follow preventive guidelines. If any suspicious symptoms appear, please visit a hospital or clinic immediately for diagnosis and treatment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.