Clinical and Epidemiologic Characteristics and Therapeutic Management of Patients with Vibrio Infections, Bay of Biscay, France, 2001–2019

The purpose of the data collection was to make an inventory of Vibrio infections diagnosed in hospitals in the Bay of Biscay on the west coast of France and to describe the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of the patients and their therapeutic management. Noncholera vibriosis is a rare, opportunistic bacterial infection caused by Vibrio spp. other than V. cholerae O1/O139 and diagnosed mainly during the hot sum¬mer months in patients after seaside activities. Detailed knowledge of circulating pathogenic strains and hetero¬geneities in infection outcomes and disease dynamics may help in patient management. We conducted a multi¬center case-series study documenting Vibrio infections in 67 patients from 8 hospitals in the Bay of Biscay, France, over a 19-year period. Infections were mainly caused by V. alginolyticus (34%), V. parahaemolyticus (30%), non- O1/O139 V. cholerae (15%), and V. vulnificus (10%). Drug-susceptibility testing revealed intermediate and resistant strains to penicillins and first-generation cepha¬losporins. The acute infections (e.g., those involving di¬gestive disorder, cellulitis, osteitis, pneumonia, and en¬docarditis) led to a life-threatening event (septic shock), amputation, or death in 36% of patients. Physicians may need to add vibriosis to their list of infections to assess in patients with associated risk factors.