# Characterizing the Spatial Temporal Dynamics and Human Health Risks of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Bacteria in Estuarine Environments

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $545,940

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Non-cholera Vibrio species, such as V. parahaemolyticus, are often an underlying
cause of seafood-associated illnesses leading to an estimated 80,000 illnesses, 500
hospitalizations and 100 deaths annually in the United States. Shellfish, which are often
consumed raw or undercooked, can accumulate a wide array of infectious pathogen
including bacteria, making them a primary exposure route for non-cholera Vibrio
infections. As shellfish aquaculture continues to grow in the United States, there is a need
for more reliable Vibrio detection methods in harvesting waters in order to better quantify human
health risks from these bacteria and to limit the burden of vibriosis. The goals of this research
are to characterize levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria in estuarine environments and
to assess human health risks from this emerging pathogen. Methods developed will be built
upon a unique opportunity to work with comprehensive data sets from two large estuarine
environments, the Chesapeake Bay and the Puget Sound, which represent two of the most
significant economic estuarine systems on the East and West coast of the US. Quantitative
analyses will focus on the advancement of spatial and spatial-temporal statistical methods to
better quantify uncertainty for spatially predicting in estuarine environments. Statistical results
will be used to support the development of a region-specific quantitative microbial risk
assessment (QMRA) for vibriosis, extending the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) current
national risk assessment model. The Puget Sound database includes Vibrio outbreaks traced
back to specific harvesting areas, information that will be used to develop a novel dose-response
model for the risk assessment. Results of this research will provide reliable tools that can be
used to improve risk management procedures for infections from Vibrio parahaemolyticus in
both these bodies of water, as well as applications to other estuaries that support shellfish
harvesting, leading to increased estuarine economic output, reduced disease burden, and
improved public health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9898224
- **Project number:** 5R01AI123931-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Frank Curriero
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $545,940
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-05-02 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9898224

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9898224, Characterizing the Spatial Temporal Dynamics and Human Health Risks of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Bacteria in Estuarine Environments (5R01AI123931-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9898224. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*