title: Vibrios in association with sedimentary crustaceans in three beaches of the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy).
abstract: In the marine environment, vibrios adhere to a number of substrates including chitin-rich organisms such as crustaceans. Their wide diffusion in coastal waters and pathogenic potential require knowledge of the lifestyle and environmental reservoirs of these bacteria. To test the presence of culturable vibrios in coastal areas and their association with benthic crustaceans, vibrios were isolated from water, sediments and crustaceans (copepods and anphipods) at three stations placed in front of heavily used tourist beaches of the Adriatic Sea. We observed significant correlations between vibrios and temperature. Benthic and planktonic copepods harboured vibrios in summer, while benthic amphipods harboured these bacteria in spring and autumn. Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains gave positive results using primers for Vibrio cholerae toxR and toxS. Sedimentary crustaceans may extend Vibrio persistence in seawater and may represent an additional aquatic reservoir of these bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Dip.Te.Ris. - Università di Genova, C.so Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy. anabella7@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covazzi Harriague
authors.forename: Marco Di
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Brino
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zampini
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albertelli
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pruzzo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Misic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D007558:Italy; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014733:Vibrio / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014871:Water Microbiology