A group of bacteria found in seawater that can cause food poisoning, mainly from raw or undercooked seafood such as oysters.
Raw and undercooked seafood, especially oysters and other shellfish, are the main sources because these filter feeders concentrate the bacteria from seawater. Risk is higher in warmer months when Vibrio numbers rise.
The common seafood illness causes watery diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and sometimes fever within about a day, lasting a few days. Vibrio vulnificus can cause severe bloodstream infection in vulnerable people.
People with liver disease, weakened immune systems or other chronic conditions are at much greater risk of severe Vibrio vulnificus infection and should avoid raw seafood. Most healthy people experience only a milder gut illness.
Yes, thorough cooking kills Vibrio bacteria, so cooked seafood is much safer than raw. The risk is concentrated in raw or undercooked shellfish such as oysters eaten straight from the shell.
Buy shellfish from approved, monitored harvest areas, keep seafood cold at 5 degrees or below throughout the supply chain, cook thoroughly where possible, and avoid cross-contamination. Maintaining the cold chain is the main control.