Epidemiology Molecular Biology and Detection of Foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections

Epidemiology, Molecular Biology and Detection of Foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus infectionsfrom Marie Yeung and Kathryn J. Boor writing in Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology:As a natural inhabitant of the marine environment, Vibrio parahaemolyticus is frequently present in seafood, and particularly in oysters. V. parahaemolyticus can multiply rapidly under favorable conditions, but also may exist in a viable but non-culturable state under unfavorable conditions. A small subset of this species can cause human disease, with acute gastroenteritis as the predominant clinical manifestation. Two pore-forming hemolysins, thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and TDH-related hemolysin (TRH), are recognized as contributors to V. parahaemolyticus pathogenesis. Therefore, many detection methods for pathogenic strains focus on determining the presence of the genes encoding these hemolysins or on detection of beta-hemolysis on Wagatsuma agar (i.e. the Kanagawa Phenomenon). Serotyping and molecular fingerprinting techniques are also used to subtype Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates. One of the most effective strategies for preventing Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection from consumption of raw or uncooked seafood is to reduce seafood post-harvest storage temperatures to prevent the growth of this species.Further reading: Foodborne and Waterborne Bacterial Pathogens: Epidemiology, Evolution and Molecular Biology
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