Vibrio vulnificus Meningitis in a Boy With Thalassemia After Eating Raw Oysters

Vibrio vulnificus is a salt requiring marine vibrio. It is a human pathogen with a predilection for extraintestinal sites of infection.1 This is a report of V vulnificus meningitis in a boy with thalassemia that developed three days after he ate raw oysters. This case points out several important aspects of pathogenesis and a recommendation for preventing V vulnificus infections in susceptible hosts. CASE REPORT The patient was an 11-year-old boy with thalassemia major who had a splenectomy at 6 years of age. His regular treatment included monthly transfusions and daily deferoxamine. He sought medical attention in a local community hospital after experiencing nausea, vomiting, anorexia, green watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain for four days.