A Case of <em>V. vulnificus</em> Infection in Non-Coastal Area’s Farmer

A Case of V. vulnificus Infection in Non-Coastal Area’s Farmer

Chun-Li Lv,^1,3 Peng Xu,² Qing-Liang Liu,^1,3 Song Gao,^1,3 An-Lin Chen,^1,3 Wei-Qun Huang³ and Xiao-min Wang^2,3

¹Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
²National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
³School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China

The infection of Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) can cause numerous clinical manifestations with high mortality. Aquatic products and sea water are typically the primary routes of infection. This article narrates a case of V. vulnificus infection in a farmer from an inland mountain area, who, unusually, contracted the infection through insect-borne transmission. The patient had a medical history of fatty liver disease and chronic alcohol consumption, which significantly increased the risk of V. vulnificus infection. He presented with swelling and pain in the lower left leg, along with scattered areas of skin necrosis and localized hemorrhagic bullae. His condition rapidly progressed to septic shock. Regrettably, the patient suffered a cardiac arrest during an emergency fasciotomy and passed away within 12 hours of admission. The retrospective analysis of this case aims to re-examine the way of infection of the disease, improve the understanding of clinicians in non-coastal areas of V. vulnificus infection, and achieve early diagnosis and treatment.

Key words —— diagnosis; infection; insect-borne transmission; Vibrio vulnificus

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2025 May, 266(2), 193-197.

Correspondence: Xiao-min Wang, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518112, China. School of Laboratory Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563006, China.

e-mail: wxm_zmu@163.com