Molecular Methods to Study Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus From Atypical Environments

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2018Source: Methods in MicrobiologyAuthor(s): Indrani Karunasagar, Biswajit Maiti, Ballamoole Krishna KumarAbstractVibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are autochthonous flora of the aquatic environment. In their natural habitat, they are present in water and in association with aquatic fauna and flora. The human gut is not a natural habitat and therefore when these vibrios are isolated from the stool samples or from human tissue such as wound, blood, etc., they are in an atypical environment. Recent data have shown that the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus-associated illnesses is increasing worldwide. Besides human illnesses, evidence linking vibrio infections to increasing mass mortality of marine life in the coastal environment is also recorded. Considering the epidemiological significance of these pathogens, there is an essential need to use appropriate diagnostics that can identify V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus accurately and rapidly in clinical specimens and food. These techniques should be implemented in the routine methods employed for monitoring of pathogenic vibrios. This chapter outlines the conventional and molecular methods to identify these two formidable pathogens that remain a global risk.
Source: Methods in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research