Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1989 Dec;55(12):3072–3079. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.12.3072-3079.1989

Survival of Vibrio vulnificus in shellstock and shucked oysters (Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea virginica) and effects of isolation medium on recovery.

C A Kaysner 1, M L Tamplin 1, M M Wekell 1, R F Stott 1, K G Colburn 1
PMCID: PMC203225  PMID: 2619304

Abstract

When two species of shellstock oysters were artificially contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus, the bacterium survived when the oysters were stored at 10 degrees C and below. Large numbers of endogenous V. vulnificus cells were found after 7 days at both 0.5 and 10 degrees C in uninoculated control oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Oysters allowed to take up V. vulnificus from seawater retained the bacterium for 14 days at 2 degrees C. The presence of V. vulnificus in the drip exuded from the shellstock presented a possibility of contamination of other shellstock in storage. V. vulnificus injected into shucked Pacific (Crassostrea gigas) and Eastern (C. virginica) oysters survived at 4 degrees C for at least 6 days. An 18-h most-probable-number enrichment step in alkaline peptone water gave higher recovery levels of V. vulnificus than did direct plating to selective agars. The survival of this pathogen in both shellstock and shucked oysters suggests a potential for human illness, even though the product is refrigerated.

Full text

PDF
3072

Selected References

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

  1. Blake P. A., Merson M. H., Weaver R. E., Hollis D. G., Heublein P. C. Disease caused by a marine Vibrio. Clinical characteristics and epidemiology. N Engl J Med. 1979 Jan 4;300(1):1–5. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197901043000101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Hill W. E., Payne W. L., Aulisio C. C. Detection and enumeration of virulent Yersinia enterocolitica in food by DNA colony hybridization. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Sep;46(3):636–641. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.3.636-641.1983. [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 R. D., Johnston J. M. Inland presentation of Vibrio vulnificus primary septicemia and necrotizing fasciitis. West J Med. 1986 Jan;144(1):78–80. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. 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]
  7. Kelly M. T., Dinuzzo A. Uptake and clearance of Vibrio vulnificus from Gulf coast oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Dec;50(6):1548–1549. doi: 10.1128/aem.50.6.1548-1549.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. 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]
  9. Maas R. An improved colony hybridization method with significantly increased sensitivity for detection of single genes. Plasmid. 1983 Nov;10(3):296–298. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(83)90045-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Massad G., Oliver J. D. New selective and differential medium for Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Sep;53(9):2262–2264. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.9.2262-2264.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Oliver J. D. Lethal cold stress of Vibrio vulnificus in oysters. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Mar;41(3):710–717. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.3.710-717.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. 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]
  13. Oliver J. D., Warner R. A., Cleland D. R. Distribution of Vibrio vulnificus and other lactose-fermenting vibrios in the marine environment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Mar;45(3):985–998. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.3.985-998.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. 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]
  15. 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]
  16. 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]
  17. Tilton R. C., Ryan R. W. Clinical and ecological characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus in the northeastern United States. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 1987 Feb;6(2):109–117. doi: 10.1016/0732-8893(87)90094-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tison D. L., Kelly M. T. Virulence of Vibrio vulnificus strains from marine environments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 May;51(5):1004–1006. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.5.1004-1006.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wright A. C., Morris J. G., Jr, Maneval D. R., Jr, Richardson K., Kaper J. B. Cloning of the cytotoxin-hemolysin gene of Vibrio vulnificus. Infect Immun. 1985 Dec;50(3):922–924. doi: 10.1128/iai.50.3.922-924.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES