CME ACTIVITY: Clinical Characteristics and Molecular Subtyping of Vibrio vulnificus Illnesses, Israel

which caused severe soft tissue infection after ? shbone injury, emerged in Israel. We conducted a follow-up study from 1998 through 2005 to assess changing trends, outcomes, and molecular relatedness of the implicated strains. A total of 132 cases (71% con? rmed and 29% suspected) of V. vulnifi cus biotype 3 infection were found. Most infections (95%) were related to percutaneous ? sh exposure, mainly tilapia (83%) or common carp (13%). Bacteremia, altered immune status, and history of ischemic heart disease were identi? ed as independent risk factors for death, which reached a prevalence of 7.6%. Pulsed-? eld gel electrophoresis patterns of strains from 1998 through 2005 and from 1996 through 1997 showed a high degree of homogeneity and were distinct from those of V. vulnifi cus biotype 1. Infections caused by V. vulnifi cus biotype 3 continue to affect the public’s health in Israel.