title: Occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio vulnificus in the Aquacultural Environments of Taiwan.
abstract: The occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio cholerae in a total of 72 samples from six aquaculture ponds for groupers, milk fish, and tilapia in southern Taiwan was examined by the membrane filtration and colony hybridization method. The halophilic V. parahaemolyticus was only recovered in seawater ponds, with a high isolation frequency of 86.1% and a mean density of 2.6 log CFU/g. V. cholerae was found in both the seawater and freshwater ponds but preferentially in freshwater ponds, with a frequency of 72.2% and a mean density of 1.65 log CFU/g. V. vulnificus was identified mainly in seawater ponds, with an isolation frequency of 27.8%. The density of V. parahaemolyticus in seawater ponds was positively related to water temperature (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.555) and negatively related to salinity (r = 2 0.333). The density of V. cholerae in all six ponds was positively related to water temperature (r = 0.342) and negatively related to salinity (r = 2 0.432). Two putatively pathogenic tdh(+) V. parahaemolyticus isolates (1.4% of the samples) and no ctx(+) V. cholerae isolates were identified. The experimental results may facilitate assessments of the risk posed by these pathogenic Vibrio species in Taiwan, where aquaculture provides a large part of the seafood supply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan 111, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yao Hsien
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan 600, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Koa-Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan 111, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shin-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Fen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan 111, Republic of China. wonghc@scu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hin-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D013624:Taiwan; D013696:Temperature; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D041261:Vibrio vulnificus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology / Q000592:standards