Effects of farm location on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus levels in oysters after desiccation and resubmersion in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Desiccation is a routine farming practice utilized in off-bottom oyster aquaculture to reduce biofouling organisms and improve shell quality. This practice can increase Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus levels, leading to increased risk of illness for raw oyster consumers. Previous resubmersion studies were performed in geographic proximity to one another, so to better understand the broader applicability of resubmersion, the next step was to perform concurrent studies in multiple geographic locations within a region. This study evaluated the effect of variations in geographic location on the recovery time needed for elevated vibrio levels to return to ambient levels in desiccated oysters after resubmersion at Gulf Coast farms. Two trials were performed between May-August 2019 at sites spanning ~100 km: three in Alabama and one in Florida. Oysters were deployed in OysterGro cages at each location, two weeks prior to each trial, then either desiccated for 24 h or remained submersed as controls. Triplicate samples were taken prior to and immediately following the desiccation period, as well as 7 and 14 d post-resubmersion. Total and pathogenic ( tdh +/ trh +) V. parahaemolyticus , and V. vulnificus levels were determined using most probable number (MPN) real-time PCR. Vibrio levels increased by 0.23-3.50 log MPN/g after desiccation. Recovery times varied among geographic locations by trial and Vibrio spp., with all vibrio counts recovering to levels not significantly higher than those in control oysters within 7-14 days of resubmersion (p≥0.06). These results suggest a 14-day resubmersion period of cultured oysters allowed vibrio levels, elevated due to routine handling, to return to ambient levels at all farm sites studied.