title: Abundance of Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus, and V. parahaemolyticus in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) from Long Island sound.
abstract: Vibriosis is a leading cause of seafood-associated morbidity and mortality in the United States. Typically associated with consumption of raw or undercooked oysters, vibriosis associated with clam consumption is increasingly being reported. However, little is known about the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in clams. The objective of this study was to compare the levels of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters and clams harvested concurrently from Long Island Sound (LIS). Most probable number (MPN)-real-time PCR methods were used for enumeration of total V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, and pathogenic (tdh(+) and/or trh(+)) V. parahaemolyticus. V. cholerae was detected in 8.8% and 3.3% of oyster (n = 68) and clam (n = 30) samples, with levels up to 1.48 and 0.48 log MPN/g in oysters and clams, respectively. V. vulnificus was detected in 97% and 90% of oyster and clam samples, with median levels of 0.97 and -0.08 log MPN/g, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus was detected in all samples, with median levels of 1.88 and 1.07 log MPN/g for oysters and clams, respectively. The differences between V. vulnificus and total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels in the two shellfish species were statistically significant (P < 0.001). These data indicate that V. vulnificus and total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus are more prevalent and are present at higher levels in oysters than in hard clams. Additionally, the data suggest differences in vibrio populations between shellfish harvested from different growing area waters within LIS. These results can be used to evaluate and refine illness mitigation strategies employed by risk managers and shellfish control authorities.
authors.affiliation: FDA, Division of Seafood Science and Technology, Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory, Dauphin Island, Alabama, USA Jessica.Jones@fda.hhs.gov.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: FDA, Division of Seafood Science and Technology, Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory, Dauphin Island, Alabama, USA University of Hamburg, Hamburg School of Food Science, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Catharina H M
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lüdeke
authors.affiliation: FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Division of Public Health Informatics and Analytics, College Park, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.affiliation: State of Connecticut, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Aquaculture, Milford, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: DeRosia-Banick
authors.affiliation: State of Connecticut, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Aquaculture, Milford, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.affiliation: New York State, Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Marine Resources, East Setauket, New York, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hastback
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000382:microbiology*; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000382:microbiology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D049891:Mercenaria / Q000382:microbiology*; D009518:New York; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*