Characterization of clinical Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains in Zhoushan, China, from 2013 to 2014

PLoS One. 2017 Jul 5;12(7):e0180335. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180335. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is recognized as major cause of foodborne illness of global public health concern. This study collected 107 strains of V. parahaemolyticus during active surveillance of diarrheal diseases in hospitals in Zhoushan during 2013 to 2014 and investigated their serotypes, virulence genes (tdh, trh, and orf8), antimicrobial resistance, and genotypes. The dominant serotypes of the 107 clinical strains were O3:K6, O4:K8, and O4:KUT with 87.9% and 3.7% of the strains carrying the virulence genes tdh and trh, respectively. Molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicated divergence among the clinical strains. Most isolates were sensitive to the common antimicrobial agents used against the Vibrio species except ampicillin. We conclude that continuous surveillance of V. parahaemolyticus in diarrhea patients is a public health priority and is useful for conducting risk assessment of foodborne illnesses caused by V. parahaemolyticus.

MeSH terms

  • China / epidemiology
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / microbiology*
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Foodborne Diseases / epidemiology
  • Foodborne Diseases / microbiology*
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genotype
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Serotyping
  • Species Specificity
  • Vibrio Infections / epidemiology
  • Vibrio Infections / microbiology*
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus / classification
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus / genetics
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus / pathogenicity*
  • Virulence / genetics

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the grants from Bureau of Science and Technology of Zhoushan (Project NO. 2014C31073).