Peter J. McCarthy

Under certain conditions, one type of marine
bacteria known as Vibrio is capable of causing
wound infections and seafood sickness in
people with weakened immune systems.
Recently, the term “flesh-eating bacteria” has
been used to refer to Vibrio. This description is
false and misleading and causes unnecessary
fear and panic.
To ensure that your time on the water is safe
and enjoyable, be aware of local hazards and
follow these simple safety guidelines.

Vibrio have been isolated from the guts and skin of fish from many environments as well as commercial fish
products, however it is unknown if these pathogens naturally exist in the meat of foodfish.
This study first investigated the association of Vibrio with Mangrove Snapper collected from the Indian River
Lagoon to determine if its presence in their meat is natural or a product of contamination.

The second part of this study was to identify Vibrio reservoirs within Mangrove Snapper to better understand
how they can contaminate the meat during the filleting process.
In addition, the effects of temperature abuse (a common food handling issue) and its duration, on Vibrio
abundance, were also tested.