[Epidemiological Characteristics of Cases and Deaths of Vibrio vulnificus Sepsis, 2023].

Vibrio vulnificus sepsis is acute septicemia caused by V. vulnificus and it is a class 3 infectious disease designated under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. The mean number of cases over the years 2018 to 2022, in the Republic of Korea, was 51.4, with a fatality rate of 38.6%. In 2023, there were 69 patients with V. vulnificus sepsis (patients or probable patients) and 27 deaths, with a fatality rate of 39.1%. In 2023, the number of patients increased approximately 1.3 times compared to the mean of the previous five years, and 91.3% of the reported cases were concentrated in August, September, and October. Based on an analysis of epidemiological survey reports, the main presumed infection route for confirmed patients was seafood consumption. It was the most common (42 [61.8%]) and there were also five (7.4%) cases presumed to have been infected after wounded skin was exposed to seawater. Additionally, 92.6% of the deceased had underlying diseases, such as liver disease, diabetes, and alcoholism. The number of patients with V. vulnificus sepsis in 2023 increased by approximately 1.5 times compared to the previous year, but the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of the confirmed patients were similar to those previously reported. The results of an annual surveillance project, including patient epidemiological characteristics and infection route analysis, is expected to serve as a basis for the prevention and management of V. vulnificus sepsis in the future.