title: Molecular Detection of the Three Major Pathogenic Vibrio Species from Seafood Products and Sediments in Tunisia Using Real-Time PCR.
abstract: Vibrio spp. have emerged as a serious threat to human health worldwide. V. parahaemolyticus , V. cholerae , and V. vulnificus pose a considerable public health risk in Tunisia because they cause sporadic and epidemic foodborne infections associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood. More recently, toxR-positive V. alginolyticus was also reported to be a potential source of contaminated seafood. A total of 247 samples, including 113 fishes ( Labrus viridis , Penaeus kerathurus , Diplodus annularis , Diplodus sparaillon , Scorparna porcus , Sarpa salpa , Dentex dentex , Scorparna scrofa , Sardinella aurita , Trachurus trachurus , Synodus saurus , Pagellus erythrinus , and Metapenaeus monoceros ), 83 clams ( Ruditapes decussatus species), 30 seawater samples, and 21 sediment samples were analyzed using traditional culture methods (ISO/TS 21872-1; International Organization for Standardization 2007) and a conventional PCR method for Vibrio spp.
  
  
  
  A rapid, sensitive, and highly reproducible real-time PCR assay was developed to detect the three major Vibrio spp. pathogenic for humans in Tunisian seafood products and sediments. A conventional culture method found 102 (41.3%) of 247 analyzed samples positive for Vibrio spp.; a conventional PCR method found 126 (51%) of the 247 samples positive. Real-time PCR assay found 126 (51.1%) samples positive; V. alginolyticus toxR was the most common, found in 99 (78.57%) of samples, followed by V. parahaemolyticus in 26 (20.63%) and V. cholerae in 1 (0.7%). All culture-positive samples were PCR positive. However, 24 samples that were positive by conventional PCR and real-time PCR were culture negative. Our findings indicate that retail seafood is commonly contaminated with Vibrio spp. and presents a potential risk to human health in Tunisia. These data also indicate that real-time PCR can provide sensitive species-specific detection of Vibrio spp. in seafood without prior isolation and characterization of the bacteria by traditional microbiological methods.
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.|Société La cinquième des produits de mer SARL, 3011 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Morsi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gdoura
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sellami
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.|Ecologie des Systèmes Marins Côtiers, UMR 5119, Université de Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier cedex 5 34095, France.
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nasfi
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Rahma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.affiliation: Agence Nationale de Contrôle Sanitaire et Environnemental des Produits (Ministère de la santé), 2 Rue Ibn Nadim, Montplaisir, 1073 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sabeur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: L'Observatoire National des Maladies Nouvelles et Émergentes (ONMNE), Ministère de la santé, Tunis 1006, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Touraya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Régional de Santé Publique de Nabeul, 8, Rue Bab Ezzaouia, Nabeul 8000, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Siwar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nsaibia
authors.affiliation: Ecologie des Systèmes Marins Côtiers, UMR 5119, Université de Montpellier 2, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier cedex 5 34095, France.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vallaeys
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Radhouane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gdoura
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR11ES70), Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universitéde Sfax, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology; D014416:Tunisia; D014733:Vibrio / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Real-time PCR; Seafood; Vibrio alginolyticus; Vibrio cholerae; Vibrio parahaemolyticus