Sepsis with Bullous Necrotizing Skin Lesions due to Vibrio vulnificus Acquired Through Recreational Activities in the Baltic Sea

This report describes the case of a 59-year-old woman with a history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who developed bacteremia with Vibrio vulnificus. The patient had been swimming in the unusually warm Baltic Sea in the summer of 2002. She presented with symptoms of septicemia and severe bullous necrotizing skin lesions of the extremities. Blood culture revealed Vibrio vulnificus as the pathogenic organism. Under treatment with cefotaxime and gentamicin, she recovered slowly without further complications. Vibrio vulnificus is a marine bacterium that is present in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, especially when water temperatures exceed 20°C. Infections with Vibrio vulnificus are uncommon in Europe, and most cases are reported from subtropical or tropical regions.