Vibriosis and its impact on microbiological food safety

It is estimated that infections caused by bacteria of to the genus Vibrio are sub notified, however it is possible to notice the increase in the vibriosis incidence associated to the consumption of contaminated water and food, specially by raw seafood. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus e Vibrio vulnificus are the main pathogenic species for humans and the infections caused by these bacteria can range from simple gastroenteritis to cases of sepsis. In Brazil, until 2020, the legislation that determined the microbial standards for food, RDC 12/2001, recommended that the presence of V. parahaemolyticus should be investigated in ready-to-eat food based on raw fish and similar. However, IN60, the new legislation that came into force on December 2020, no longer requires it. Since the presence of these bacteria are important risk factors for humans, as agents of diseases transmitted specially by food, it is important to monitor their presence in foods of marine origin, especially in fish and shellfish that will be consumed raw. Therefore, preventive approaches are needed, such as the control and monitoring of microbiological quality of water, mainly in high-risk food production environments (such as oysters, for example) and the microbiological control of these foods, including vibrio research.

Automated summary

Infections caused by Vibrio bacteria, particularly from contaminated water and raw seafood consumption, are often underreported. Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus are the main pathogenic species for humans, causing a range of illnesses from gastroenteritis to sepsis. The presence of these bacteria in marine foods, especially raw fish and shellfish, is an important risk factor for human health. However, the new legislation in Brazil no longer requires the investigation of V. parahaemolyticus in ready-to-eat food based on raw fish. Therefore, it is crucial to implement preventive measures and monitor the microbiological quality of water and marine foods, including research on Vibrio bacteria.