title: Epidemiological investigation of a foodborne outbreak in Spain associated with U.S. West Coast genotypes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
abstract: We describe an outbreak of seafood-associated Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Galicia, Spain in on 18th of August 2012 affecting 100 of the 114 passengers travelling on a food banquet cruise boat. Epidemiological information from 65 people was available from follow-on interviews, of which 51 cases showed symptoms of illness. The food items identified through the questionnaires as the most probable source of the infections was shrimp. This product was unique in showing a statistically significant and the highest OR with a value of 7.59 (1.52-37.71). All the nine strains isolated from stool samples were identified as V. parahaemolyticus, seven were positive for both virulence markers tdh and trh, a single strain was positive for trh only and the remaining strain tested negative for both trh and tdh. This is the largest foodborne Vibrio outbreak reported in Europe linked to domestically processed seafood. Moreover, this is the first instance of strains possessing both tdh+ and trh+ being implicated in an outbreak in Europe and that a combination of strains represent several pathogenicity groups and belonging to different genetic variants were isolated from a single outbreak. Clinical isolates were associated with a novel genetic variant of V. parahaemolyticus never detected before in Europe. Further analyses demonstrated that the outbreak isolates showed indistinguishable genetic profiles with hyper-virulent strains from the Pacific Northwest, USA, suggesting a recent transcontinental spread of these strains.
authors: The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY UK.
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Martinez-Urtaza
authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK.
authors: Andy
authors: A
authors: Powell
authors: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Tomtebodavägen 11 A, 17183 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Josep
authors: J
authors: Jansa
authors: Xefatura territorial de Pontevedra, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Galicia, Spain.
authors: José Luís Castro
authors: JL
authors: Rey
authors: Xefatura territorial de Pontevedra, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Galicia, Spain.
authors: Oscar Paz
authors: OP
authors: Montero
authors: Servizo Microbioloxia, Complexo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: Marta García
authors: MG
authors: Campello
authors: Servizo Microbioloxia, Complexo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: M José Zamora
authors: MJ
authors: López
authors: Dirección Xeral de Innovación e Xestión da Saúde Pública, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Galicia, Spain.
authors: Anxela
authors: A
authors: Pousa
authors: Xefatura territorial de Pontevedra, Consellería de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, Galicia, Spain.
authors: M José Faraldo
authors: MJ
authors: Valles
authors: Laboratory of Systems, Technological Research Institute, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario Sur, Santiago de Compostela, Spain ; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 USA ; Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 USA.
authors: Joaquin
authors: J
authors: Trinanes
authors: Laboratoire de Microbiologie-LNR, Département Ressources Biologiques et Environnement, Unité Environnement Microbiologie et Phycotoxines, Ifremer, Centre de Brest, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, Plouzané, France.
authors: Domique
authors: D
authors: Hervio-Heath
authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Keay
authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Bayley
authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Hartnell
authors: Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK.
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Baker-Austin
keywords: PNW clone; ST 36; Seafood; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; tdh; trh