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Cited by 53Vibrio bacteria research studiesInfections and bacterial resistanceBacterial Infections and Vaccines

Distribution of Fatal Vibrio Vulnificus Necrotizing Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Huang, Kuo-Chin, Weng, Hsu-Huei, Yang, Tien-Yu, Chang, Te-Sheng, Huang, Tsan-Wen, Lee, Mel S.·2016·Medicine
DOI 10.1097/md.0000000000002627PMC PMC4748892
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Abstract

Vibrio vulnificus necrotizing skin and soft tissue infections (VNSSTIs), which have increased significantly over the past few decades, are still highly lethal and disabling diseases despite advancing antibiotic and infection control practices. We, therefore, examined the spatiotemporal distribution of worldwide reported episodes and associated mortality rates of VNSSTIs between 1966 and 2014. The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for observational studies on patients with VNSSTIs. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. We did random-effects meta-analysis to obtain estimates for primary outcomes; the estimates are presented as means plus a 95% confidence interval (CI). Data from the selected studies were also extracted and pooled for correlation analyses.Nineteen studies of 2227 total patients with VNSSTIs were analyzed. More than 95% of the episodes occurred in the subtropical western Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions of the northern hemisphere. While the number of cases and the number of deaths were not correlated with the study period (rs = 0.476 and 0.310, P = 0.233 and 0.456, respectively), the 5-year mortality rate was significantly negatively correlated with them (rs = -0.905, P = 0.002). Even so, the pooled estimate of total mortality rates from the random-effects meta-analysis was as high as 37.2% (95% CI: 0.265-0.479).These data suggest that VNSSTIs are always an important public health problem and will become more critical and urgent because of global warming. Knowing the current distribution of VNSSTIs will help focus education, policy measures, early clinical diagnosis, and appropriate medical and surgical treatment for them.

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  • Wound infection is generally acquired through exposure of a preexisting wound to contaminated seawater or shellfish, resulting in fulminant necrotizing skin and soft tissue infections.

    “Wound infection is generally acquired through the exposure of a preexisting wound to contaminated seawater or shellfish, resulting in fulminant necrotizing skin and soft tissue infections (Huang et al., 2016;Kotton, Soboh, & Bisharat, 2015).”

    From <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i>in aquariums is a novel threat to marine mammals and public health (2018) · cites this paper as Huang et al., 2016

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says V. vulnificus in seawater can cause necrotizing infections following traumatic injuries and describes necrotizing skin and soft-tissue infections as fulminant. It identifies shellfish as a habitat for the bacterium, but describes contaminated-oyster exposure through ingestion, not through contact with a preexisting wound. It also does not establish that wound infection is generally acquired by the route claimed. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Huang, K.-C., Weng, H.-H., Yang, T.-Y., Chang, T.-S., Huang, T.-W., & Lee, M. S.
Affiliations
Chang Gung University (TW)
Corresponding author
  • Huang, Kuo-Chin
  • Huang, Tsan-Wen
ORCID
Venue
Medicine
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2016-02
Volume
95
Issue
5
Pages
e2627
ISSN
0025-7974 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/md.0000000000002627
PMC
PMC4748892
OpenAlex
W2331127429
Cited by
53
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 6
FWCI
0.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Chang Gung Medical Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Vibrio bacteria research studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Infections and bacterial resistance
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
Keywords
Vibrio vulnificus, spatiotemporal variation, all-cause mortality, global warming, public health burden
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Vibrio Infections, Skin Diseases, Bacterial, Soft Tissue Infections, Young Adult, Spatio-Temporal Analysis

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