scholarly journals Rapid Proliferation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio cholerae during Freshwater Flash Floods in French Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (21) ◽  
pp. 7600-7609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Esteves ◽  
Dominique Hervio-Heath ◽  
Thomas Mosser ◽  
Claire Rodier ◽  
Marie-George Tournoud ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVibrio parahaemolyticus,Vibrio vulnificus, andVibrio choleraeof the non-O1/non-O139 serotype are present in coastal lagoons of southern France. In these Mediterranean regions, the rivers have long low-flow periods followed by short-duration or flash floods during and after heavy intense rainstorms, particularly at the end of the summer and in autumn. These floods bring large volumes of freshwater into the lagoons, reducing their salinity. Water temperatures recorded during sampling (15 to 24°C) were favorable for the presence and multiplication of vibrios. In autumn 2011, before heavy rainfalls and flash floods, salinities ranged from 31.4 to 36.1‰ and concentrations ofV. parahaemolyticus,V. vulnificus, andV. choleraevaried from 0 to 1.5 × 103most probable number (MPN)/liter, 0.7 to 2.1 × 103MPN/liter, and 0 to 93 MPN/liter, respectively. Following heavy rainstorms that generated severe flash flooding and heavy discharge of freshwater, salinity decreased, reaching 2.2 to 16.4‰ within 15 days, depending on the site, with a concomitant increase inVibrioconcentration to ca. 104MPN/liter. The highest concentrations were reached with salinities between 10 and 20‰ forV. parahaemolyticus, 10 and 15‰ forV. vulnificus, and 5 and 12‰ forV. cholerae. Thus, an abrupt decrease in salinity caused by heavy rainfall and major flooding favored growth of human-pathogenicVibriospp. and their proliferation in the Languedocian lagoons. Based on these results, it is recommended that temperature and salinity monitoring be done to predict the presence of theseVibriospp. in shellfish-harvesting areas of the lagoons.

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (15) ◽  
pp. 4517-4522 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Jones ◽  
T. P. Kinsey ◽  
L. W. Johnson ◽  
R. Porso ◽  
B. Friedman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVibrio parahaemolyticusandVibrio vulnificuscan grow rapidly in shellfish subjected to ambient air conditions, such as during intertidal exposure. In this study, levels of total and pathogenic (tdh+and/ortrh+)V. parahaemolyticusand totalV. vulnificuswere determined in oysters collected from two study locations where intertidal harvest practices are common. Samples were collected directly off intertidal flats, after exposure (ambient air [Washington State] or refrigerated [New Jersey]), and after reimmersion by natural tidal cycles. Samples were processed using a most-probable-number (MPN) real-time PCR method for total and pathogenicV. parahaemolyticusorV. vulnificus. In Washington State, the mean levels ofV. parahaemolyticusincreased 1.38 log MPN/g following intertidal exposure and dropped 1.41 log MPN/g after reimmersion for 1 day, but the levels were dependent upon the container type utilized. PathogenicV. parahaemolyticuslevels followed a similar trend. However,V. vulnificuslevels increased 0.10 log MPN/g during intertidal exposure in Washington but decreased by >1 log MPN/g after reimmersion. In New Jersey, initial levels of all vibrios studied were not significantly altered during the refrigerated sorting and containerizing process. However, there was an increase in levels after the first day of reimmersion by 0.79, 0.72, 0.92, and 0.71 log MPN/g for total,tdh+andtrh+V. parahaemolyticus, andV. vulnificus, respectively. The levels of all targets decreased to those similar to background after a second day of reimmersion. These data indicate that the intertidal harvest and handling practices for oysters that were studied in Washington and New Jersey do not increase the risk of illness fromV. parahaemolyticusorV. vulnificus.IMPORTANCEVibrio parahaemolyticusandVibrio vulnificusare the leading causes of seafood-associated infectious morbidity and mortality in the United States.Vibriospp. can grow rapidly in shellfish subjected to ambient air conditions, such as during periods of intertidal exposure. When oysters are submersed with the incoming tide, the vibrios can be purged. However, data on the rates of increase and purging during intertidal harvest are scarce, which limits the accuracy of risk assessments. The objective of this study was to help fill these data gaps by determining the levels of total and pathogenic (tdh+and/ortrh+)V. parahaemolyticusandV. vulnificusin oysters from two locations where intertidal harvest practices are common, using the current industry practices. The data generated provide insight into the responses ofVibriospp. to relevant practices of the industry and public health, which can be incorporated into risk management decisions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (24) ◽  
pp. 7667-7672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Jones ◽  
Catharina H. M. Lüdeke ◽  
John C. Bowers ◽  
Kristin DeRosia-Banick ◽  
David H. Carey ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVibriosis is a leading cause of seafood-associated morbidity and mortality in the United States. Typically associated with consumption of raw or undercooked oysters, vibriosis associated with clam consumption is increasingly being reported. However, little is known about the prevalence ofVibriospp. in clams. The objective of this study was to compare the levels ofVibrio cholerae,Vibrio vulnificus, andVibrio parahaemolyticusin oysters and clams harvested concurrently from Long Island Sound (LIS). Most probable number (MPN)–real-time PCR methods were used for enumeration of totalV. cholerae,V. vulnificus,V. parahaemolyticus, and pathogenic (tdh+and/ortrh+)V. parahaemolyticus.V. choleraewas detected in 8.8% and 3.3% of oyster (n= 68) and clam (n= 30) samples, with levels up to 1.48 and 0.48 log MPN/g in oysters and clams, respectively.V. vulnificuswas detected in 97% and 90% of oyster and clam samples, with median levels of 0.97 and −0.08 log MPN/g, respectively.V. parahaemolyticuswas detected in all samples, with median levels of 1.88 and 1.07 log MPN/g for oysters and clams, respectively. The differences betweenV. vulnificusand total and pathogenicV. parahaemolyticuslevels in the two shellfish species were statistically significant (P< 0.001). These data indicate thatV. vulnificusand total and pathogenicV. parahaemolyticusare more prevalent and are present at higher levels in oysters than in hard clams. Additionally, the data suggest differences in vibrio populations between shellfish harvested from different growing area waters within LIS. These results can be used to evaluate and refine illness mitigation strategies employed by risk managers and shellfish control authorities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salina Parveen ◽  
John Jacobs ◽  
Gulnihal Ozbay ◽  
Lathadevi K. Chintapenta ◽  
Esam Almuhaideb ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Oyster and seawater samples were collected from five sites in the Chesapeake Bay, MD, and three sites in the Delaware Bay, DE, from May to October 2016 and 2017. Abundances and detection frequencies for total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus were compared using the standard most-probable-number–PCR (MPN-PCR) assay and a direct-plating (DP) method on CHROMagar Vibrio for total (tlh+) and pathogenic (tdh+ and trh+) V. parahaemolyticus genes and total (vvhA) and pathogenic (vcgC) V. vulnificus genes. The colony overlay procedure for peptidases (COPP) assay was evaluated for total Vibrionaceae. DP had high false-negative rates (14 to 77%) for most PCR targets and was deemed unsatisfactory. Logistic regression models of the COPP assay showed high concordances with MPN-PCR for tdh+ and trh+ V. parahaemolyticus and vvhA+ V. vulnificus in oysters (85.7 to 90.9%) and seawater (81.1 to 92.7%) when seawater temperature and salinity were factored into the model, suggesting that the COPP assay could potentially serve as a more rapid method to detect vibrios in oysters and seawater. Differences in total Vibrionaceae and pathogenic Vibrio abundances between state sampling sites over different collection years were contrasted for oysters and seawater by MPN-PCR. Abundances of tdh+ and trh+ V. parahaemolyticus were ∼8-fold higher in Delaware oysters than in Maryland oysters, whereas abundances of vcgC+ V. vulnificus were nearly identical. For Delaware oysters, 93.5% were both tdh+ and trh+, compared to only 19.2% in Maryland. These results indicate that pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus was more prevalent in the Delaware Bay than in the Chesapeake Bay. IMPORTANCE While V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus cause shellfish-associated morbidity and mortality among shellfish consumers, current regulatory assays for vibrios are complex, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and relatively expensive. In this study, the rapid, simple, and inexpensive COPP assay was identified as a possible alternative to MPN-PCR for shellfish monitoring. This paper shows differences in total Vibrionaceae and pathogenic vibrios found in seawater and oysters from the commercially important Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from the Delaware Bay were more likely to contain commonly recognized pathogenicity genes than those from the Chesapeake Bay.


2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1454-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
YI-CHENG SU ◽  
JINGYUN DUAN ◽  
WEN-HSIN WU

The thiosulfate–citrate–bile salts–sucrose agar (TCBS) used in the most-probable-number method for detecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus cannot differentiate growth of V. parahaemolyticus from Vibrio vulnificus or Vibrio mimicus. This study examined the selectivity and specificity of Bio-Chrome Vibrio medium (BCVM), a chromogenic medium that detects V. parahaemolyticus on the basis of the formation of distinct purple colonies on the medium. A panel consisting of 221 strains of bacteria, including 179 Vibrio spp. and 42 non-Vibrio spp., were examined for their ability to grow and produce colored colonies on BCVM. Growth of Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Aeromonas was inhibited by both BCVM and TCBS. All 148 strains of V. parahaemolyticus grew on BCVM, and 145 of them produced purple colonies. The remaining 31 Vibrio spp., except one strain of Vibrio fluvialis, were either unable to grow or produced blue-green or white colonies on BCVM. Bio-Chrome Vibrio medium was capable of differentiating V. parahaemolyticus from other species, including V. vulnificus and V. mimicus. Further studies are needed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of BCVM for detecting V. parahaemolyticus in foods.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 2320-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Cruz ◽  
D. Hedderley ◽  
G. C. Fletcher

ABSTRACTThe food-borne pathogenVibrio parahaemolyticushas been reported as being present in New Zealand (NZ) seawaters, but there have been no reported outbreaks of food-borne infection from commercially grown NZ seafood. Our study determined the current incidence ofV. parahaemolyticusin NZ oysters and Greenshell mussels and the prevalence ofV. parahaemolyticustdhandtrhstrains. Pacific (235) and dredge (21) oyster samples and mussel samples (55) were obtained from commercial shellfish-growing areas between December 2009 and June 2012. TotalV. parahaemolyticusnumbers and the presence of pathogenic genestdhandtrhwere determined using the FDA most-probable-number (MPN) method and confirmed using PCR analysis. In samples from the North Island of NZ,V. parahaemolyticuswas detected in 81% of Pacific oysters and 34% of mussel samples, while the numbers ofV. parahaemolyticustdhandtrhstrains were low, with just 3/215 Pacific oyster samples carrying thetdhgene.V. parahaemolyticusorganisms carryingtdhandtrhwere not detected in South Island samples, andV. parahaemolyticuswas detected in just 1/21 dredge oyster and 2/16 mussel samples. Numbers ofV. parahaemolyticusorganisms increased when seawater temperatures were high, the season when most commercial shellfish-growing areas are not harvested. The numbers ofV. parahaemolyticusorganisms in samples exceeded 1,000 MPN/g only when the seawater temperatures exceeded 19°C, so this environmental parameter could be used as a trigger warning of potential hazard. There is some evidence that the totalV. parahaemolyticusnumbers increased compared with those reported from a previous 1981 to 1984 study, but the analytical methods differed significantly.


2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHENGCHU LIU ◽  
JIANZHANG LU ◽  
YI-CHENG SU

This study investigated the effects of flash freezing, followed by frozen storage, on reducing Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Pacific raw oysters. Raw Pacific oysters were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of V. parahaemolyticus at a total level of approximately 3.5 × 105 most probable number (MPN) per gram. Inoculated oysters were subjected to an ultralow flash-freezing process (−95.5°C for 12 min) and stored at −10, −20, and −30°C for 6 months. Populations of V. parahaemolyticus in the oysters declined slightly by 0.22 log MPN/g after the freezing process. Subsequent storage of frozen oysters at −10, −20, and −30°C resulted in considerable reductions of V. parahaemolyticus in the oysters. Storing oysters at −10°C was more effective in inactivating V. parahaemolyticus than was storage at −20 or −30°C. Populations of V. parahaemolyticus in the oysters declined by 2.45, 1.71, and 1.45 log MPN/g after 1 month of storage at −10, −20, and −30°C, respectively, and continued to decline during the storage. The levels of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters were reduced by 4.55, 4.13, and 2.53 log MPN/g after 6 months of storage at −10, −20, and −30°C, respectively. Three process validations, each separated by 1 week and conducted according to the National Shellfish Sanitation Program's postharvest processing validation–verification interim guidance for Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, confirmed that a process of flash freezing, followed by storage at −21 ± 2°C for 5 months, was capable of achieving greater than 3.52-log (MPN/g) reductions of V. parahaemolyticus in half-shell Pacific oysters.


2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 1501-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERTA JULIANO RAMOS ◽  
MARÍLIA MIOTTO ◽  
FRANCISCO JOSÉ LAGREZE SQUELLA ◽  
ANDRÉIA CIROLINI ◽  
JAIME FERNANDO FERREIRA ◽  
...  

The efficacy of depuration using UV light and chlorinated seawater for decontaminating Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus from oysters was investigated. Oysters were contaminated with a five-strain cocktail of V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus to levels of 104 to 105 CFU ml−1 for bioaccumulation. The depuration was conducted in a closed system in which 350 liters of seawater was recirculated at a rate of 7 liters/min for 48 h at room temperature. Counts of V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus were determined at 0, 6, 18, 24, and 48 h. Three treatments were conducted: T1, control treatment; T2, UV treatment; and T3, UV plus chlorine treatment. After 48 h of depuration of V. parahaemolyticus, T3 reduced the count by 3.1 log most probable number (MPN) g−1 and T2 reduced the count by 2.4 log MPN g−1, while T1 reduced the count by only 2.0 log MPN g−1. After 48 h of depuration of V. vulnificus, T2 and T3 were efficient, reducing the counts by 2.5 and 2.4 log MPN g−1, respectively, while T1 reduced the count by only 1.4 log MPN g−1. The UV light plus chlorine treatment was more efficient for controlling V. parahaemolyticus in oysters. Both UV light and UV light plus chlorine were efficient for V. vulnificus. The present study is the first report showing the efficacy of depuration systems for decontaminating V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in oysters cultivated on the Brazilian coast. This study provides information on processes that can contribute to controlling and preventing such microorganisms in oysters and could be used for effective postharvest treatment by restaurants and small producers of oysters on the coast of Brazil.


2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1574-1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS P. KINSEY ◽  
KERI A. LYDON ◽  
JOHN C. BOWERS ◽  
JESSICA L. JONES

Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) are the two leading causes of bacterial illnesses associated with raw shellfish consumption. Levels of these pathogens in oysters can increase during routine antifouling aquaculture practices involving dry storage in ambient air conditions. After storage, common practice is to resubmerge these stored oysters to reduce elevated Vv and Vp levels, but evidence proving the effectiveness of this practice is lacking. This study examined the changes in Vv and in total and pathogenic (thermostable direct hemolysin gene and the tdh-related hemolysin gene, tdh+ and trh+) Vp levels in oysters after 5 or 24 h of dry storage (28 to 32°C), followed by resubmersion (27 to 32°C) for 14 days. For each trial, replicate oyster samples were collected at initial harvest, after dry storage, after 7 days, and after 14 days of resubmersion. Oysters not subjected to dry storage were collected and analyzed to determine natural undisturbed vibrio levels (background control). Vibrio levels were measured using a most-probable-number enrichment followed by real-time PCR. After storage, vibrio levels (excluding tdh+ and trh+ Vp during 5-h storage) increased significantly (P &lt; 0.001) from initial levels. After 7 days of resubmersion, Vv and total Vp levels (excluding total Vp in oysters stored for 5 h) were not significantly different (P &gt; 0.1) from levels in background oysters. Vv and total and pathogenic Vp levels were not significantly different (P &gt; 0.1) from levels in background oysters after 14 days of resubmersion, regardless of dry storage time. These data demonstrate that oyster resubmersion after dry storage at elevated ambient temperatures allows vibrio levels to return to those of background control samples. These results can be used to help minimize the risk of Vv and Vp illnesses and to inform the oyster industry on the effectiveness of routine storing and resubmerging of aquaculture oysters.


1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
CURTIS J. HAGEN' ◽  
EDNA M. SLOAN ◽  
GAYLE A. LANCETTE ◽  
JAMES T. PEELER ◽  
JOHN N. SOFOS

This study compares recoveries of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus with salt-polymyxin B broth (SPB) and alkaline peptone water (APW) from samples of crab legs, oysters, shrimp, lobster and shark, which were inoculated at three levels (approximately 101 to 102, 102 to 103 and 104 to 105/g) with each of the pathogens. Six samples of each product were analyzed [3-tube most probable number (MPN)] with each broth. Inoculated samples of oysters and slurries of crab and lobster were also tested after cold stress (refrigerated at 2 to 4°C, 3 or 7 days, or frozen at −15°C for 21 or 28 days). For each seafood, geometric means of cells recovered with APW were significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher than the corresponding means of recovery with SPB. In addition, 12 of 15 calculated estimates of 50% relative detectable levels (RDL50) were lower (P &lt; 0.05) for APW than for SPB. In these samples, the level of detection by APW was found to be 40 to 32,000 and 6- to 42-fold lower for V parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus, respectively, than the level of detection by SPB. In cold-stored samples, overall detection of the pathogens was greatly reduced, but APW was also more efficient than SPB in recovering stressed cells.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Hwa Lee ◽  
Seul-Ki Park ◽  
Fazlurrahman Khan ◽  
Du-Min Jo ◽  
Do-ha Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus are one of the critical foodborne pathogens that need to be intensively controlled their infection as a result of the intake and distribution of seafood, especially raw oysters. For this reason, various methods have already been developed for the detection and enumeration of these bacteria. The most probable number (MPN)-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method is commonly used with the selective-differential medium for the efficiency and convenience of cell enumeration. One of the most frequently used for the detection of Vibrio spp. is Thiosulfate-Citrate-Bile salts-Sucrose (TCBS) agar. But this selective-differential medium can fail to distinguish between V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, and Vibrio alginolyticus. For this reason, the conventional MPN-PCR method with TCBS medium for the detection of Vibrio spp. has a problem that processing PCR to the two-times. This study suggests a simple and minimized detection method using one-time PCR and non-NaCl Luria-Bertani (LB-0) medium culture. This detection method is based on the difference in salt requirement between V. cholerae and V. vulnificus. Employing the developed methodology, the simultaneous cell enumeration of V. cholerae and V. vulnificus can be possible at a low cost. Furthermore, this study proposes a new specific primer to detect virulence-related genes from V. cholerae and V. vulnificus. This advanced MPN-PCR method was verified using bioaccumulated pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) by V. cholerae and V. vulnificus.


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