title: Correlation between environmental factors and prevalence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters harvested in the southern coastal area of Sao Paulo State, Brazil.
abstract: The presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 123 oyster samples collected from an estuary on the southern coast of Sao Paulo state, Brazil, was investigated. Of the 123 samples, 99.2% were positive with densities ranging from < 3 to 10(5) most probable number (MPN)/g. Densities correlated significantly with water temperature (r = 0.48; P < 0.001) but not with salinity (r = -0.09; P = 0.34). The effect of harvest site on counts was not significant (P > 0.05). These data provide information for the assessment of exposure of V. parahaemolyticus in oysters at harvest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo de Souza Costa
authors.initials: Pde S
authors.lastname: Sobrinho
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Destro
authors.forename: Bernadette D G M
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Mariza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landgraf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004777:Environment; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D054712:Salinity; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014871:Water Microbiology