title: Occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and related hemolytic vibrios in marine environments of Washington State.
abstract: Samples of sediment, water, and fauna were tested for the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the related biotype V. alginolyticus. Altogether, 379 samples were analyzed quantitatively by using a starch-agar medium. Invertebrate and sediment samples were invariably positive for V. parahaemolyticus, whereas water samples were quite variable. Samples of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), obtained on a regular basis for 26 months from a single environment, showed a close correlation between total numbers of mesophilic vibrios and the overlying water temperature; the seasonal counts of oysters ranged from less than 10 to greater than 100,000 per g. Ecological implications and possible pathogenicity of these vibrios are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003445:Crustacea; D005399:Fishes; D008386:Marine Biology; D008974:Mollusca; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013213:Starch; D013696:Temperature; D014733:Vibrio / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014861:Washington; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000362:Agar; D013213:Starch