Q: Patients with hemochromatosis are vulnerable to infection with which of the following organism

A) Vibrio Vulnificus
B) Clostridium Septicum
C) Clostridium Tertium
D) Staphylococcus Aureus 
E) Staphylococcus Epidermidis


Answer:  A

Growth of V. vulnificus is partly dependent on the availability of iron and directly related to the transferrin percentage saturation with iron. Once transferrin saturation goes above 70 percent, growth of the bacterium is nearly exponential.

But patients without hemochromatosis may develop severe V. vulnificus sepsis if expose to seawater (marine) with skin breakdown.




Reference:

Kim CM, Park RY, Choi MH, et al. Ferrophilic characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus and potential usefulness of iron chelation therapy. J Infect Dis 2007; 195:90.