„Within the departmental research programme KLIWAS (“Impacts of climate change on waterways and navigation - Searching for options of adaptation”, the German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) began to deal with water hygiene issues focussing on vibrios. The occurrence, spatial distribution, and ecology of potentially humanpathogenic Vibrio spp. (V. vulnificus, V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus) in German coastal waters and sediments have been analysed. Additionally, in field studies as well as in laboratory experiments it has been investigated to what extent the expected consequences of climate change such as higher average water temperatures, regional increases in extreme weather events as well as changes in biotic and abiotic environmental parameters might have impacted Vibrio spp..

 

In this context, in 2012 the BfG hosted an international symposium on „Pathogenic Vibrio spp. in Northern European Waters“. Focus of the meeting were bathing water-related issues and interactions of vibrios with their environment, including overviews over past and present data, methodologies and risk assessment. Further information:

http://www.bafg.de/DE/05_Wissen/02_Veranst/2012/2012_05_31.html?nn=169148

Conference proceedings:

http://www.bafg.de/DE/05_Wissen/04_Pub/03_Veranst/BfG-Veranstaltungen201204.html?nn=174588