Fernando et al. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011, 5:171 http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/5/1/171 clinical picture. Recognition of necrotizing soft-tissue infections is critical for survival because they may carry a high mortality rate. Surgical debridement must be complemented with broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. V. parahemolyticus demonstrates beta-lactamase activity in as many as 50% of isolates [8]. The vibrios are sus- ceptible most notably to fluoroquinolones, third genera- tion cephalosporins and doxycycline, Septicaemia and serious soft tissue infections can be treated with the synergistic combination of ceftazidime plus doxycycline or ceftazidime plus a fluoroquinolone with the latter combination being more potent in vitro [9]. There is evidence that patients with cirrhosis and end stage liver disease are susceptible to Vibrio infections [10]. This is the first case, however, in which a Vibrio parahemolyti- cus species infection has been reported in a liver trans- plant patient. It is imperative to educate patients with compromised liver function of the necessity of avoiding uncooked salt water foods and exposure to brine. Conclusion Preventing contamination of seafood is impossible since several shellfish and finfish filter and concentrate the organism. Raw seafood consumption must be discour- aged, particularly for individuals at high risk for devel- opment of septicaemia, especially in people with compromised liver function or immunosuppression. Special attention should be paid to possible cross-con- tamination during the preparation of seafood. Consent Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompany- ing images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. Authors’ contributions RF was involved in the management of the patient, performed the literature search and was a contributor in writing the manuscript. MF initiated the preparation of the manuscript and did a literature search. SK was instrumental in preparing the manuscript and performing the literature search. CE helped prepare and edit the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Received: 22 March 2010 Accepted: 6 May 2011 Published: 6 May 2011 References 1. Yeung PS, Boor KJ: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and prevention of foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2004, 1(2):74-88. 2. Zimmerman M, DePaola A, Bowers JC, Krantz JA, Nordstrom JL, Johnson CN, Grimes DJ: Variability of Total and Pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus Densities in Northern Gulf of Mexico Water and Oysters. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2007, 739(23):7589-7596. Page 3 of 3 3. Daniels NA, MacKinnon L, Bishop R, Altekruse S, Ray B, Hammond RM, Thompson S, Wilson S, Bean NH, Griffin PM, Slutsker L: Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections in the United States, 1973-1998. J Infect Dis 2000, 181(5):1661-6. 4. Daniels NA, Ray B, Easton A, Marano N, Kahn E, McShan AL, Del Rosario L, Baldwin T, Kingsley MA: Emergence of a new Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype in raw oysters: A prevention quandary. JAMA 2000, 284:1541-1545. 5. Kelly MT, Stroh EM: Temporal relationship of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in patients and the environment. J Clin Microbiol 1988, 26:1754. 6. Payinda G: Necrotizing fasciitis due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. N Z Med J 2008, 121(1283):99-101. 7. Lim TK, Stebbings AE: Fulminant necrotising fasciitis caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Singapore Med J 1999, 40(9):596-7. 8. Tena D, Arias M, Alvarez BT, Mauleón C, Jiménez MP, Bisquert J: Fulminant necrotizing fasciitis due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. J Med Microbiol 2010, 59:235-8. 9. Ottaviani D, Bacchiocchi I, Masini L, Leoni F, Carraturo A, Giammarioli M, Sbaraglia G: Antimicrobial susceptibility of potentially pathogenic halophilic vibrios isolated from seafood. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2001, 18:135-140. 10. Hlady WG, Klontz KC: The epidemiology of Vibrio infections in Florida, 1981-1993. J Infect Dis 1996, 173(5):1176-83. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-5-171 Cite this article as: Fernando et al.: Vibrio parahemolyticus septicaemia in a liver transplant patient: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011 5:171. Submit your next manuscript to BioMed Central and take full advantage of: • Convenient online submission • Thorough peer review • No space constraints or color ﬁgure charges • Immediate publication on acceptance • Inclusion in PubMed, CAS, Scopus and Google Scholar • Research which is freely available for redistribution Submit your manuscript at www.biomedcentral.com/submit