The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology
Online ISSN : 1349-8037
Print ISSN : 0022-1260
ISSN-L : 0022-1260
Differences among marine and hospital strains of Vibrio cholerae during Peruvian epidemic
Guy H. CarvajalJorge SanchezMaria E. AyalaAtsushi Hase
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1998 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 27-33

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Abstract

During a period of 18 months of an epidemic of Vibrio cholerae, cultures from 450 samples of fish, shellfish and seawater were isolated. The highest frequencies of occurrence observed were 5.2% in fish from inshore waters, 3.9% in marine snails, and 1.8% in mussels and crabs. No incidents were isolated from cultures of fish in the open seas or cultures from frozen shrimp. Cultures of marine origin were compared with cultures from hospitalized patients, and these revealed marked serological and toxigenic differences. Marine strains were mainly non-O1 V. cholerae, non toxigenic. We presume fishing off-shore not to be the cause of this outbreak. However, marine species from contaminated waters could contain toxigenic V. cholerae remaining viable and potentially pathogenic. Methods used were more sensitive and specific for detecting marine strains. In this paper the need to use more specific methods is discussed.

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© 1998 by The Applied Microbiology, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Foundation
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