Knowledge of Vibrio vulnificus infection among Japanese patients with liver diseases: a prospective multicenter study.
BACKGROUND
Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) is a seafood-borne infectious pathogen that can be lethal to humans. The infection has been correlated with pre-existing liver disease, particularly liver cirrhosis. Awareness of V. vulnificus infection among Japanese citizens is low, despite the increasing number of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge of patients with liver disease regarding V. vulnificus infection.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to patients with chronic liver disease who had been treated by liver specialists at 14 medical institutes.


RESULTS
Of 1,336 patients, 304 (22.8%) had liver cirrhosis, and 732 (54.8%) had comorbidities of this disease. Only 14.5% (194/1,336) of patients had knowledge of V. vulnificus infection. Of 304 patients with liver cirrhosis, 17.4% (53/304) of the patients had knowledge of V. vulnificus infection. Of 60 patients with liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus, 11 (18.3%) patients had knowledge of V. vulnificus infections. Even when the patients with high risk factors such as liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus had knowledge of V. vulnificus infections, most ate raw seafood without regard to season.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic liver diseases and their physicians need to be better educated about V. vulnificus infection and its prevention.
Department of Digestive Disease Information and Research, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. nagao@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
Yumiko
Y
Nagao
Hisako
H
Matsuoka
Masataka
M
Seike
Kazumi
K
Yamasaki
Junji
J
Kato
Takeyuki
T
Nakajima
Yutaka
Y
Miyazaki
Tomoyoshi
T
Ohno
Sadataka
S
Inuzuka
Hiromasa
H
Ohira
Osamu
O
Yokosuka
Hiroshi
H
Yatsuhashi
Tetsu
T
Mori
Koichi
K
Honda
Takumi
T
Kawaguchi
Tatsuya
T
Ide
Michio
M
Sata
D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000382:microbiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D019359:Knowledge; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012623:Seawater; D012758:Shellfish; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000150:complications*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000502:physiology*