Food Safety in the Production and Consumption of Fish: The Case of Vibrio Vulnificus

Abstract

Foodborne Diseases (FD) constitute a major global public healthchallenge due to their incidence and relatedmortality. Bacteria are frequently related to the generation of FD outbreaks.Fish is a highly nutritious food that is marketed and consumed globally.However, they are also susceptible to deterioration and contamination due to biologicalhazards related to unsanitary conditions and practices occurring throughout thefood chain. Vibrio vulnificus is considered a human pathogen related todiseases and is transmitted by manipulation and consumption of aquatic foods,mainly in the raw state. This microorganism is also a fish pathogen thatgenerates epizootics in culture with consequent economic losses and risks tohuman health due to transfer in the food chain. Aquaculture is a source of foodsuch as fish that has grown over the years, becoming an important form ofsubsistence worldwide. Tilapia is an aquaculture species that, depending onculture conditions, may be at risk of V. vulnificus infections thatwould generate negative effects on animal health and compromise food safety.Therefore, the purpose of this document is to provide a general perspective ondiseases transmitted by the food of aquatic origin derived from the handlingand consumption of fish, specifically tilapia and whose causal agent is V.vulnificus. The metabolic, ecological, isolation, and identificationcharacteristics of this pathogen are pointed out, in addition to the various actionsto control and prevent negative impacts on public health due to this biologicalhazard in foods of aquatic origin.