title: Non-Cholera Vibrios: The Microbial Barometer of Climate Change.
abstract: There is a growing interest in the role of climate change in driving the spread of waterborne infectious diseases, such as those caused by bacterial pathogens. One particular group of pathogenic bacteria - vibrios - are a globally important cause of diseases in humans and aquatic animals. These Gram-negative bacteria, including the species Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae, grow in warm, low-salinity waters, and their abundance in the natural environment mirrors ambient environmental temperatures. In a rapidly warming marine environment, there are greater numbers of human infections, and most notably outbreaks linked to extreme weather events such as heatwaves in temperate regions such as Northern Europe. Because the growth of pathogenic vibrios in the natural environment is largely dictated by temperature, we argue that this group of pathogens represents an important and tangible barometer of climate change in marine systems. We provide a number of specific examples of the impacts of climate change on this group of bacteria and their associated diseases, and discuss advanced strategies to improve our understanding of these emerging waterborne diseases through the integration of microbiological, genomic, epidemiological, climatic, and ocean sciences.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS), Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK. Electronic address: craig.baker-austin@cefas.co.uk.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baker-Austin
authors.affiliation: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA; Laboratory of Systems, Technological Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario Sur, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain; Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trinanes
authors.affiliation: Molecular Methods & Subtyping Branch, Division of Microbiology, Office of Regulatory Science, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway College Park, MD 20740-3835, USA.
authors.forename: Narjol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Escalona
authors.affiliation: The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, Somerset, UK.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez-Urtaza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D055907:Climatic Processes; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000254:growth & development*; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000254:growth & development*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000254:growth & development*; D014871:Water Microbiology
keywords: Vibrio; climate change; heatwave; infectious diseases