title: Occurrence of clinical genotypeVibrio vulnificusin clam samples in Mangalore, Southwest coast of India.
abstract: Vibrio vulnificusis an opportunistic human pathogen causing gastroenteritis, wound infection and primary septicemia.V. vulnificuspopulation has been divided into subpopulations based on their phenotype and genotype characteristics. In this study, 38.5% (10/26) of clam (Meretrix meretrix) samples obtained from Mangalore markets were seen to harborV. vulnificus.Biochemical characterization ofV. vulnificusisolates showed the strains to belong to Biotype 1 phenotype. Genotyping of strains using the 16S rRNA and virulence correlated gene (vcg) typing methods identified the isolates to be of 16S rRNA typeB andvcgC type respectively. Analysis of representative 16S rRNA andvcggene sequences further substantiated that theV. vulnificusassociated with clams in the present study to be of clinical origin, implicated as virulent type responsible for causing infection in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Mangalore, 575 002 India.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sangeetha
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Mangalore, 575 002 India.
authors.forename: Malathi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shekar
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Mangalore, 575 002 India.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Venugopal
keywords: 16S rRNA typeB; Biotype 1; Clams; Clinical genotype; Vibrio vulnificus; vcgC gene