Vibrio septicemia bacteria detected for the first time this year in seawater off the coast of Ulsan

Vibrio septicemia bacteria were detected in seawater off the coast of Ulsan for the first time this year, calling for citizens to be cautious.

The Ulsan City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 9th that it had confirmed Vibrio septicemia bacteria as a result of testing seawater collected from the Nasari breakwater coast of Seosaeng Bay, Ulju-gun on the 7th.

The Korea Institute for Health and Environment requested that the test results be promptly notified to relevant organizations and safety management of coastal seawater and marine products be strengthened.

Vibrio septicemia bacteria multiply actively during periods of high seawater temperature, and it is known that more than 90% of cases occur between August and October.

You can become infected if you eat contaminated fish or shellfish raw or undercooked. There is a risk of infection even if you have a wound on your skin and come in contact with contaminated sea water.

When infected, symptoms include acute fever, chills, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, swelling, and blisters.

In particular, if the disease progresses to sepsis, the fatality rate is very high, so high-risk groups such as liver disease patients, diabetic patients, and immunocompromised people must avoid contact with raw fish and shellfish and seawater.

To prevent infection, you must follow preventive rules such as washing your hands before and after handling fish and shellfish, avoiding contact with seawater if you have any wounds on your skin, washing and disinfecting cooking utensils used to prepare fish and shellfish, and storing fish and shellfish at a low temperature.

The Institute of Health and Environment is carrying out a surveillance project to predict the prevalence of Vibrio septicemia bacteria in the seawater off the coast of Ulsan from April to November every year, and is continuously monitoring whether bacteria are detected in seawater and changes in water temperature.