Two cases of severe sepsis due to Vibrio vulnificus wound infection acquired in the Baltic Sea

Authors: Ruppert, J.¹; Panzig, B.²; Guertler, L.²; Hinz, P.³; Schwesinger, G.⁴; Felix, S.⁵; Friesecke, S.⁵

Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Volume 23, Number 12, December 2004 , pp. 912-915(4)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Two severe cases of Vibrio vulnificus wound infection with secondary septicemia occurred during 1 week in August 2003 on the German island of Usedom in the southwestern Baltic Sea. In both cases, pre-existing wounds were inoculated by wading in contaminated sea water. One of the patients died from septic multiorgan failure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fatality due to a V. vulnificus infection to have occurred in Germany. Microbiological analysis revealed high concentrations of V. vulnificus in sea water along the coastline, following a period when water temperature exceeded 20<?A3B2 show $132#?>°<?A3B2 show $132#?>C for more than 2 weeks.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10096-004-1241-2

Affiliations: 1: Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany, Email: ruppert@uni-greifswald.de 2: Loeffler Institute for Medical Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Martin-Luther-Strasse 6, 17489, Greifswald, Germany, 3: Department of Surgery, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany, 4: Institute of Pathology, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany, 5: Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Greifswald, Friedrich-Loeffler-Strasse 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany,

Publication date: 2004-12-01