Vibrio vulnificus is an extremely invasive gram-negative bacillus found in
marine waters that causes overwhelming bacteremia and shock that is associa
ted with high mortality. Impaired iron metabolism has been implicated in th
e susceptibility to V vulnificus bacterial infections. We report a case of
fatal V vulnificus sepsis in a 56-year-old man who died within I to 3 days
after consuming raw seafood. At autopsy, he was found to have micronodular
cirrhosis and iron overload. Postmortem genetic analysis revealed the prese
nce of the hemochromatosis gene WE) C282Y mutation. To our knowledge, this
is this first documented fatal case of V vulnificus infection in a patient
proven to carry the HFE C282Y mutation. Because this patient was heterozygo
us for the major hereditary hemochromatosis mutation and was not previously
diagnosed with clinical iron overload, the spectrum of clinical susceptibi
lities to V vulnificus infection may include carriers of the C282Y mutation
.