title: Quantification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae in French Mediterranean coastal lagoons.
abstract: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae are human pathogens. Little is known about these Vibrio spp. in the coastal lagoons of France. The purpose of this study was to investigate their incidence in water, shellfish and sediment of three French Mediterranean coastal lagoons using the most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR). In summer, the total number of V. parahaemolyticus in water, sediment, mussels and clams collected from the three lagoons varied from 1 to >1.1 × 10³ MPN/l, 0.09 to 1.1 × 10³ MPN/ml, 9 to 210 MPN/g and 1.5 to 2.1 MPN/g, respectively. In winter, all samples except mussels contained V. parahaemolyticus, but at very low concentrations. Pathogenic (tdh- or trh2-positive) V. parahaemolyticus were present in water, sediment and shellfish samples collected from these lagoons. The number of V. vulnificus in water, sediment and shellfish samples ranged from 1 to 1.1 × 10³ MPN/l, 0.07 to 110 MPN/ml and 0.04 to 15 MPN/g, respectively, during summer. V. vulnificus was not detected during winter. V. cholerae was rarely detected in water and sediment during summer. In summary, results of this study highlight the finding that the three human pathogenic Vibrio spp. are present in the lagoons and constitute a potential public health hazard.
authors.affiliation: "Ecologie des Systèmes Marins Côtiers", UMR 5119 CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Université Montpellier 2 & 1, Case 093, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cantet
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hervio-Heath
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Mennec
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monteil
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quéméré
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jolivet-Gougeon
authors.forename: Rita R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Colwell
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monfort
mesh_terms: D058491:Bacterial Load; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology
keywords: Human pathogen; Lagoons; Sediment; Shellfish; Vibrio; Water