Foodborne Pathogenic Vibrios: Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Foodborne illness caused by pathogenic Vibrios is generally associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. Fish and other seafood can be contaminated with Vibrio species, natural inhabitants of the marine, estuarine, and freshwater environment. Pathogenic Vibrios of major public health concerns are Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus. Common symptoms of foodborne Vibrio infection include watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Administration of oral or intravenous rehydration salts solution is the mainstay for the management of cholera, and antibiotics are also used to shorten the duration of diarrhea and to limit further transmission of the disease. Currently, doxycycline, azithromycin, or ciprofloxacin are commonly used for V. cholerae, and doxycycline or quinolone are administered for V. parahaemolyticus, whereas doxycycline and a third-generation cephalosporin are recommended for V. vulnificus as initial treatment regimen. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vibrios is increasingly common across the globe and a decrease in the effectiveness of commonly available antibiotics poses a global threat to public health. Recent progress in comparative genomic studies suggests that the genomes of the drug-resistant Vibrios harbor mobile genetic elements like plasmids, integrating conjugative elements, superintegron, transposable elements, and insertion sequences, which are the major carriers of genetic determinants encoding antimicrobial resistance. These mobile genetic elements are highly dynamic and could potentially propagate to other bacteria through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). To combat the serious threat of rising AMR, it is crucial to develop strategies for robust surveillance, use of new/novel pharmaceuticals, and prevention of antibiotic misuse.

The High Risk of Bivalve Farming in Coastal Areas With Heavy Metal Pollution and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Chilean Perspective

“…The occurrence of AMR in Vibrio has increased worldwide and the efficacy of clinically important antibiotics has declined, emerging as a global threat to public health ( Dutta et al., 2021 ).…”

Vibriosis and its impact on microbiological food safety

“…The treatment of vibrioses can vary from oral or intravenous hydration, especially in cases of cholera, to the use of antibiotics, hospitalization and amputation of infected limbs, especially in cases of necrotizing fasciitis (Baker-Austin et al, 2018;Dutta et al, 2021).…”

“…The most used antibiotics for the treatment of cholera are azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline, also used in the treatment of infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus, together with quinolones. Doxycycline may also be indicated for the treatment of V. vulnificus, as well as third-generation cephalosporins (Dutta et al, 2021).…”

“…Genome analyzes of these microorganisms have revealed the presence of several mobile genetic elements that carry drug resistance genes, such as plasmids, transposition elements and integrons, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer is very dynamic in this group and probably is the main spreading mechanism of antimicrobial resistance among these bacteria. The spread of such resistance genes compromises the effectiveness of available antibiotics to treat these infections and poses a global threat to public health (Dutta et al, 2021).…”

Dietary Isothiocyanates, Sulforaphane and 2-Phenethyl Isothiocyanate, Effectively Impair Vibrio cholerae Virulence

“…The case-fatality ratio is correlated mainly with proper and rapid treatment, ranging from 15.8% to less than 1%, according to WHO statistics. Currently, the antibiotic resistance among V. cholerae strains is increasingly reported and threatens our ability to treat infected patients—which has created a major challenge to the development of an efficient therapy [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Oral rehydration treatment (ORT) is still the first-choice therapy for infected patients [ 8 ].…”