Non-cholera Vibrio species, such as V. parahaemolyticus, are often an underlying cause of seafood-associated illnesses leading to an estimated 80,000 illnesses, 500 hospitalizations and 100 deaths annually in the United States. Shellfish, which are often consumed raw or undercooked, can accumulate a wide array of infectious p a t h o g e n i n c l u d i n g bacteria, making them a primary exposure route for non-cholera Vibrio infections. As shellfish aquaculture continues to grow in the United States, there is a need for more reliable Vibrio detection methods in harvesting waters in order to better quantify human health risks from these bacteria and to limit the burden of vibriosis. The goals of this research are to characterize levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria in estuarine environments and to assess human health risks from this emerging pathogen. Methods developed will be built upon a unique opportunity to work with comprehensive data sets from two large estuarine environments, the Chesapeake Bay and the Puget Sound, which represent two of the most significant economic estuarine systems on the East and West coast of the US. Quantitative analyses will focus on the advancement of spatial and spatial-temporal statistical methods to better quantify uncertainty for spatially predicting in estuarine environments. Statistical results will be used to support the development of a region-specific quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for vibriosis, extending the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current national risk assessment model. The Puget Sound database includes Vibrio outbreaks traced back to specific harvesting areas, information that will be used to develop a novel dose-response model for the risk assessment. Results of this research will provide reliable tools that can be used to improve risk management procedures for infections from Vibrio parahaemolyticus in both these bodies of water, as well as applications to other estuaries that support shellfish harvesting, leading to increased estuarine economic output, reduced disease burden, and improved public health.

Public Health Relevance

Non-cholera Vibrio species are often an underlying cause of seafood-associated illnesses leading to an estimated 80,000 illnesses, 500 hospitalizations and 100 deaths annually in the United States. The goals of this research are to assess human health risks from this emerging pathogen in two large and economically significant estuarine environments, the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound. Results of this research will provide reliable tools that can be used to improve risk management procedures for infections from these bacteria, leading to increased estuarine economic output, reduced disease burden, and improved public health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI123931-02
Application #
9268737
Study Section
Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Health, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions Study Section (IRAP)
Program Officer
Hall, Robert H
Project Start
2016-05-02
Project End
2021-04-30
Budget Start
2017-05-01
Budget End
2018-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21205
Davis, Benjamin J K; Jacobs, John M; Davis, Meghan F et al. (2017) Environmental determinants of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the Chesapeake Bay. Appl Environ Microbiol :