Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1993 Aug;59(8):2425–2429. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.8.2425-2429.1993

Effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Vibrio vulnificus in seawater and shellfish.

C W Kaspar 1, M L Tamplin 1
PMCID: PMC182301  PMID: 8368832

Abstract

Sterilized seawater was used to assess the effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Vibrio vulnificus. In the temperature range of 13 to 22 degrees C, numbers of V. vulnificus increased during the 6-day incubation. Temperatures outside this range reduced the time of V. vulnificus survival in sterile 10-ppt seawater. At these restrictive temperatures, V. vulnificus numbers were reduced by 90% after 6 days of incubation. Incubation between 0.5 and 10.5 degrees C demonstrated that V. vulnificus survives poorly below 8.5 degrees C. At salinities between 5 and 25 ppt and at 14 degrees C, V. vulnificus numbers actually increased or remained unchanged after 6 days of incubation. At salinities of 30, 35, and 38 ppt, numbers of V. vulnificus decreased 58, 88, and 83%, respectively. V. vulnificus could not be recovered from deionized water, indicating lysis. When a rifampin-resistant strain of V. vulnificus was used to inoculate sterilized and unsterilized seawater (20 ppt, 20 degrees C), numbers increased in sterile seawater but decreased to undetectable levels in 14 days in the unsterilized seawater, indicating that biological factors may play a role in the survival of V. vulnificus in the environment. Since our studies demonstrated sensitivity to low temperatures, the survival of V. vulnificus in naturally contaminated oysters at temperatures of 0, 2, and 4 degrees C was also determined. Numbers of endogenous V. vulnificus in oyster shellstock increased by more than 100-fold in shellstock stored at 30 degrees C but were reduced approximately 10- and 100-fold after 14 days at 2 to 4 degrees C and 0 degrees C, respectively. We conclude that both biological and physicochemical factors are important to the survival of V. vulnificus in the environment and that temperature is critical to controlling its growth in oyster shellstock.

Full text

PDF
2425

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker R. M., Singleton F. L., Hood M. A. Effects of nutrient deprivation on Vibrio cholerae. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Oct;46(4):930–940. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.4.930-940.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blake P. A., Weaver R. E., Hollis D. G. Diseases of humans (other than cholera) caused by vibrios. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1980;34:341–367. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.34.100180.002013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bryant R. G., Jarvis J., Janda J. M. Use of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polymyxin B-sucrose medium for isolation of Vibrio vulnificus from shellfish. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Jul;53(7):1556–1559. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.7.1556-1559.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hood M. A., Ness G. E., Rodrick G. E., Blake N. J. Effects of storage on microbial loads of two commercially important shellfish species, Crassostrea virginica and Mercenaria campechiensis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Apr;45(4):1221–1228. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.4.1221-1228.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jenkins D. E., Schultz J. E., Matin A. Starvation-induced cross protection against heat or H2O2 challenge in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1988 Sep;170(9):3910–3914. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.9.3910-3914.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Johnston J. M., Becker S. F., McFarland L. M. Vibrio vulnificus. Man and the sea. JAMA. 1985 May 17;253(19):2850–2853. doi: 10.1001/jama.253.19.2850. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kaysner C. A., Abeyta C., Jr, Wekell M. M., DePaola A., Jr, Stott R. F., Leitch J. M. Virulent strains of Vibrio vulnificus isolated from estuaries of the United States West Coast. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Jun;53(6):1349–1351. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.6.1349-1351.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kaysner C. A., Tamplin M. L., Wekell M. M., Stott R. F., Colburn K. G. Survival of Vibrio vulnificus in shellstock and shucked oysters (Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea virginica) and effects of isolation medium on recovery. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Dec;55(12):3072–3079. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.12.3072-3079.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kelly M. T. Effect of temperature and salinity on Vibrio (Beneckea) vulnificus occurrence in a Gulf Coast environment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 Oct;44(4):820–824. doi: 10.1128/aem.44.4.820-824.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Murphy S. K., Oliver J. D. Effects of temperature abuse on survival of Vibrio vulnificus in oysters. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Sep;58(9):2771–2775. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.9.2771-2775.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nilsson L., Oliver J. D., Kjelleberg S. Resuscitation of Vibrio vulnificus from the viable but nonculturable state. J Bacteriol. 1991 Aug;173(16):5054–5059. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.16.5054-5059.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. O'Neill K. R., Jones S. H., Grimes D. J. Incidence of Vibrio vulnificus in northern New England water and shellfish. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1990 Oct;60(1-2):163–167. doi: 10.1016/0378-1097(90)90365-w. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Oliver J. D., Nilsson L., Kjelleberg S. Formation of nonculturable Vibrio vulnificus cells and its relationship to the starvation state. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Sep;57(9):2640–2644. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.9.2640-2644.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Oliver J. D., Warner R. A., Cleland D. R. Distribution and ecology of Vibrio vulnificus and other lactose-fermenting marine vibrios in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 Dec;44(6):1404–1414. doi: 10.1128/aem.44.6.1404-1414.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rhodes M. W., Kator H. Survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in estuarine environments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Dec;54(12):2902–2907. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.12.2902-2907.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tacket C. O., Barrett T. J., Mann J. M., Roberts M. A., Blake P. A. Wound infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a marine vibrio, in inland areas of the United States. J Clin Microbiol. 1984 Feb;19(2):197–199. doi: 10.1128/jcm.19.2.197-199.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tacket C. O., Brenner F., Blake P. A. Clinical features and an epidemiological study of Vibrio vulnificus infections. J Infect Dis. 1984 Apr;149(4):558–561. doi: 10.1093/infdis/149.4.558. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tamplin M. L., Capers G. M. Persistence of Vibrio vulnificus in tissues of Gulf Coast oysters, Crassostrea virginica, exposed to seawater disinfected with UV light. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 May;58(5):1506–1510. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.5.1506-1510.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tamplin M. L., Martin A. L., Ruple A. D., Cook D. W., Kaspar C. W. Enzyme immunoassay for identification of Vibrio vulnificus in seawater, sediment, and oysters. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Apr;57(4):1235–1240. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.4.1235-1240.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tamplin M. L., Rodrick G. E., Blake N. J., Bundy D. A., Alexander L. Public health aspects of halophilic Vibrios in Jamaica. West Indian Med J. 1983 Sep;32(3):147–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tamplin M., Rodrick G. E., Blake N. J., Cuba T. Isolation and characterization of Vibrio vulnificus from two Florida estuaries. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1982 Dec;44(6):1466–1470. doi: 10.1128/aem.44.6.1466-1470.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Weichart D., Oliver J. D., Kjelleberg S. Low temperature induced non-culturability and killing of Vibrio vulnificus. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 1992 Dec 15;100(1-3):205–210. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1992.tb14041.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES