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Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
Is a marine bacterium and causes 1/2 of all food poisoning cases in Japan where eating uncooked seafood is common, it is found in warm coastal waters and requires a high salt concentration for growth. It is occasionally found in the UK along the southern coast. Vibrio parahaemolyticus belongs to the same family of bacteria that causes cholera.
Outbreaks of Vibrio parahaemolyticus food poisoning in the UK are rare. The organism is sensitive to heat and outbreaks are normally caused by contamination after cooking due to unrefrigerated storeage.
| Onset (hours) | Symptoms & duration of illness |
| 2 to 48 usually | Diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills may be associated with infections caused by this organism. The illness is usually mild or moderate, although some cases may require hospitalisation. |
| 12 to 18 | The median duration of the illness is 2.5 days. The incubation period is 4 - 96 hours after the ingestion of the organism with a mean of 15 hours. Disease is caused when the organism attaches itself to the individuals small intestine and excretes an as yet unidentified toxin. |
Foods incriminated
Imported seafoods such as cooked prawns & dressed crab.
Target populations
All populations can be affected
