In July 2024 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an assessment of public health aspects of Vibrio spp. related to the consumption of seafood in the EU (EFSA Journal. 2024;22:e8896.). According to EFSA the prevalence of Vibrio in seafood is expected to increase both globally and in Europe because of climate change. Additionally, resistance to last-resort antibiotics is increasingly found in some Vibrio species.

Vibrios are aquatic bacteria that mainly live in marine coastal waters and brackish areas (where rivers meet the sea) and thrive in temperate and warm waters with moderate salinity. Some strains are pathogenic and can cause gastroenteritis or severe infections in humans consuming raw or undercooked seafood/shellfish, such as oysters. Contact with water containing Vibrios can also cause wound and ear infections.

Experts recommend launching an EU-wide baseline survey for relevant Vibrio spp. in pertinent seafood products at primary production and retail as a key priority to gather additional and harmonised data. These data can then be used as reference to study the effects of climate change on the prevalence of Vibrio in seafood.

The complete EFSA assessment is available here.