vibrio

noun

vib·​rio ˈvi-brē-ˌō How to pronounce vibrio (audio)
plural vibrios
: any of a genus (Vibrio) of short rigid motile bacteria that are straight or curved rods and include pathogens causing especially gastrointestinal diseases (such as cholera)
vibrionic adjective

Examples of vibrio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web About 80,000 people get vibrio infections each year. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023 In a typical year, the CDC reports about 80,000 people are infected and 100 die from some form of vibrio. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 5 Sep. 2023 Some vibrio vulnificus can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that causes the flesh around open wounds to die, leading many to call the bacteria 'flesh-eating. Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2023 Alabama has reported 15 vibrio cases this year, none fatal. Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 21 Aug. 2023 About 80,000 people get vibrio infections each year and about 100 people die from the infection annually in the U.S, the CDC says. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 20 Aug. 2023 Ukrainian health officials have detected cholera-like vibrio bacteria in the cities of Mykolaiv and in Odesa, key Black Sea port towns. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023 Despite the current concerns, wound infections with vibrio are not common and not contagious. Frances Stead Sellers and Sabrina Malhi, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Oct. 2022 The Florida Department of Health issued a warning to residents on Oct. 3 that Hurricane Ian flood waters could contain diseases like vibrio. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vibrio.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, Vibrion-, Vibrio, from Latin vibrare to wave

First Known Use

circa 1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vibrio was circa 1864

Dictionary Entries Near vibrio

Cite this Entry

“Vibrio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vibrio. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

vibrio

noun
vib·​rio ˈvib-rē-ō How to pronounce vibrio (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of short rigid motile bacteria of the family Vibrionaceae that are straight or curved rods, have one or sometimes two or three polar flagella enclosed in a sheath, and include various saprophytes and a few pathogens (as V. cholerae, the cause of cholera in humans)
2
: any bacterium of the genus Vibrio
broadly : a curved rod-shaped bacterium

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