Heatwave-associated Vibrio infections in Germany, 2018 and 2019
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Heatwave-associated Vibrio infections in Germany, 2018 and 2019. / Brehm, Thomas Theo; Berneking, Laura; Sena Martins, Meike; Dupke, Susann; Jacob, Daniela; Drechsel, Oliver; Bohnert, Jürgen; Becker, Karsten; Kramer, Axel; Christner, Martin; Aepfelbacher, Martin; Schmiedel, Stefan; Rohde, Holger; German Vibrio Study Group.
In: EUROSURVEILLANCE, Vol. 26, No. 41, 10.2021, p. 2002041.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Heatwave-associated Vibrio infections in Germany, 2018 and 2019
AU - Brehm, Thomas Theo
AU - Berneking, Laura
AU - Sena Martins, Meike
AU - Dupke, Susann
AU - Jacob, Daniela
AU - Drechsel, Oliver
AU - Bohnert, Jürgen
AU - Becker, Karsten
AU - Kramer, Axel
AU - Christner, Martin
AU - Aepfelbacher, Martin
AU - Schmiedel, Stefan
AU - Rohde, Holger
AU - German Vibrio Study Group
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - BackgroundVibrio spp. are aquatic bacteria that prefer warm seawater with moderate salinity. In humans, they can cause gastroenteritis, wound infections, and ear infections. During the summers of 2018 and 2019, unprecedented high sea surface temperatures were recorded in the German Baltic Sea.AimWe aimed to describe the clinical course and microbiological characteristics of Vibrio infections in Germany in 2018 and 2019.MethodsWe performed an observational retrospective multi-centre cohort study of patients diagnosed with domestically-acquired Vibrio infections in Germany in 2018 and 2019. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data were assessed, and isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.ResultsOf the 63 patients with Vibrio infections, most contracted the virus between June and September, primarily in the Baltic Sea: 44 (70%) were male and the median age was 65 years (range: 2-93 years). Thirty-eight patients presented with wound infections, 16 with ear infections, six with gastroenteritis, two with pneumonia (after seawater aspiration) and one with primary septicaemia. The majority of infections were attributed to V. cholerae (non-O1/non-O139) (n = 30; 48%) or V. vulnificus (n = 22; 38%). Phylogenetic analyses of 12 available isolates showed clusters of three identical strains of V. vulnificus, which caused wound infections, suggesting that some clonal lines can spread across the Baltic Sea.ConclusionsDuring the summers of 2018 and 2019, severe heatwaves facilitated increased numbers of Vibrio infections in Germany. Since climate change is likely to favour the proliferation of these bacteria, a further increase in Vibrio-associated diseases is expected.
AB - BackgroundVibrio spp. are aquatic bacteria that prefer warm seawater with moderate salinity. In humans, they can cause gastroenteritis, wound infections, and ear infections. During the summers of 2018 and 2019, unprecedented high sea surface temperatures were recorded in the German Baltic Sea.AimWe aimed to describe the clinical course and microbiological characteristics of Vibrio infections in Germany in 2018 and 2019.MethodsWe performed an observational retrospective multi-centre cohort study of patients diagnosed with domestically-acquired Vibrio infections in Germany in 2018 and 2019. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data were assessed, and isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.ResultsOf the 63 patients with Vibrio infections, most contracted the virus between June and September, primarily in the Baltic Sea: 44 (70%) were male and the median age was 65 years (range: 2-93 years). Thirty-eight patients presented with wound infections, 16 with ear infections, six with gastroenteritis, two with pneumonia (after seawater aspiration) and one with primary septicaemia. The majority of infections were attributed to V. cholerae (non-O1/non-O139) (n = 30; 48%) or V. vulnificus (n = 22; 38%). Phylogenetic analyses of 12 available isolates showed clusters of three identical strains of V. vulnificus, which caused wound infections, suggesting that some clonal lines can spread across the Baltic Sea.ConclusionsDuring the summers of 2018 and 2019, severe heatwaves facilitated increased numbers of Vibrio infections in Germany. Since climate change is likely to favour the proliferation of these bacteria, a further increase in Vibrio-associated diseases is expected.
KW - Aged
KW - Cohort Studies
KW - Germany/epidemiology
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Phylogeny
KW - Retrospective Studies
KW - Vibrio/genetics
KW - Vibrio Infections/diagnosis
U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.41.2002041
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.41.2002041
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 34651572
VL - 26
SP - 2002041
JO - EUROSURVEILLANCE
JF - EUROSURVEILLANCE
SN - 1025-496X
IS - 41
ER -
