Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a gram-negative autochthonous bacterium found in temperate and tropical marine and coastal waters globally. V. parahaemolyticus is the most prevalent food-poisoning bacterium associated with seafood consumption, typically causing self-limiting gastroenteritis. V. parahaemolyticus grows preferentially in warm (>15°C), low-salinity marine water (<25 ppt NaCl). Virulent V. parahaemolyticus strains produce a variety of recognized virulence factors, including the thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) responsible for the Kanagawa hemolysis and the TDH-related hemolysin. However, strains possessing neither hemolysins are occasionally implicated in human infections. V. parahaemolyticus appears to be undergoing a global expansion, with the epidemic emergence often related to climate warming of coastal areas. Here, we summarize the fundamental genomics, phylogeny, and epidemiological features of this bacterium.