Evidence that water transmits Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2 infections to eels.

Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2 is classically considered an obligate eel pathogen. However, it has recently been associated with one human septicemic case. In this paper, the opportunistic behavior of this pathogen is discussed. The bacterium can survive alone in brackish water or attached to eel surfaces for at least 14 days. It is able to spread through water and infect healthy eels by using skin as a portal of entry. These results suggest that water and infected eels may act as reservoirs of infection. A capsule seems to be essential for waterborne infectivity, which would explain why cells recovered from naturally diseased eels give rise to pure cultures of opaque colonies. The spread of the disease is dependent on temperature and water salinity, thus suggesting a method to reduce the risk of epizootics and that of infection for humans.