Occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Related Hemolytic Vibrios in Marine Environments of Washington State

• Published in: Applied Microbiology
• Main Authors: Baross, J., Liston, J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 1970
• Subjects: Pacific; Crassostrea gigas; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/am.20.2.179-186.1970; https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/am.20.2.179-186.1970

Samples of sediment, water, and fauna were tested for the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the related biotype V. alginolyticus . Altogether, 379 samples were analyzed quantitatively by using a starch-agar medium. Invertebrate and sediment samples were invariably positive for V. parahaemolyticus , whereas water samples were quite variable. Samples of the Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ), obtained on a regular basis for 26 months from a single environment, showed a close correlation between total numbers of mesophilic vibrios and the overlying water temperature; the seasonal counts of oysters ranged from less than 10 to greater than 100,000 per g. Ecological implications and possible pathogenicity of these vibrios are discussed.