New study into seafood cholera virus

A new research project is looking at the spread of a seaborne micro-organism linked to cholera.

Researchers from the University of Delaware are considering why Vibrio parahaemolyticus is becoming increasingly prevalent.

Thought to be responsible for gastrointestinal infections from seafood, the bacteria causes cholera and is associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked oysters and crabs.

Some 4,500 infections a year are reported in the US, although actual figures are expected to be much higher as many go unreported and doctors often do not test for the organism.

The university now hopes to study the pathogen to determine how it beats patients' immune systems, with the view to creating possible treatments and preventions.

"This organism has been around for a long time," said Michelle Parent, assistant professor of medical technology at the University of Delaware. "However, only recently, in the past decade, has a new, more virulent isolate become more prevalent around the globe."

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