Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae

The genus Vibrio contains bacteria that are indigenous to estuarine and marine environments. Worldwide, species that are pathogenic to humans include Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus. In recent years, fundamental discoveries have been made about how environmental signals modulate gene expression and virulence of Vibrio spp., raising the question 'What are the roles of virulence genes in aquatic environments where they most likely evolved?'

In this chapter we provide the reader with an overview of the ecology, pathogenicity, and virulence of V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae.