Abstract
The halophilic marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a zoonotic pathogen associated with wild-caught and farmed shrimp. The bacterium is an important cause of gastroenteritis associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. In the present study, the prevalence and human pathogenic potential of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Penaeus vannamei (tissue and hepatopancreas) and the farm environment (water and sediment) was investigated by conventional culture and molecular techniques. The total Vibrio counts of P. vannamei ranged from <1 CFU/mL in hemolymph to 7.61 log CFU/g in the hepatopancreas. The sediment samples consistently showed the counts of 6-7 log CFU/g, while the pond water had Vibrio counts in the range of 2-3 log CFU/ml. Of 120 Vibrio isolates identified, 87 were confirmed as V. parahaemolyticus based on the toxR and tlh gene-specific PCR. The virulence marker gene tdh was not detected in any of the isolates, while the trh gene was detected in 3 (3.6%) isolates. Although the incidence of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in farmed P. vannamei is low, the high numbers of total vibrios and V. parahaemolyticus demand constant monitoring of animals and the farm environment for human pathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus.
Highlights
Among various pathogenic vibrios, Vibrio parahaemolyticus is frequently associated with seafood-borne human gastroenteritis[1]
The significance of V. parahaemolyticus as a serious pathogen of farmed shrimp was realized with the establishment of its association with the acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease AHPND in shrimp[17,18]
The presence of pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus has been reported from wild-caught seafood in India[23,24,25]
Summary
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is frequently associated with seafood-borne human gastroenteritis[1]. Studies have shown that TRH-positive isolates are more abundant, sometimes as high as 15% of the total V. parahaemolyticus, and usually cause gastrointestinal infections which are less severe in nature[4,5]. Both TDH- and TRH-positive V. parahaemolyticus are considered human pathogens[5]. Considering the human health threat this bacterium poses, it is important to routinely monitor the prevalence of V. parahaemolyticus in farmed shrimp as part of risk assessment studies. The study was designed to understand the prevalence of total and human pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp farm environments on the West Coast in India
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