Occurrence and Molecular Characterization of Potentially Pathogenic Vibrio spp. in Seafood Collected in Sicily

Abstract

Seafood can vehiculate foodborne illnesses from water to humans. Climate changes, increasing water contamination and coastlines anthropization, favor the global spread of Vibrio spp. and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant isolates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spread of potentially pathogenic Vibrio spp. in fishery products collected in Sicily and to assess their antibiotic resistance. Bacteriological and molecular methods were applied to 603 seafood samples to detect V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, and Vibrio alginolyticus in order to assess their pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance. About 30% of bivalves and 20% of other fishery products were contaminated by Vibrio spp.; V. parahaemolyticus accounted for 43/165 isolates, 3 of which were carrying either tdh or trh; V. cholerae accounted for 12/165 isolates, all of them non-O1 non-O139 and none carrying virulence genes; and V. vulnificus accounted for 5/165 isolates. The highest rates of resistance were observed for ampicillin, but we also detected strains resistant to antibiotics currently included among the most efficient against Vibrio spp. In spite of their current low incidence, their rise might pose further issues in treating infections; hence, these results stress the need for a continuous monitoring of antimicrobial resistance among fishery products and an effective risk assessment.

Detection of pathogenic <i>Vibrio</i> spp. in foods: polymerase chain reaction-based screening strategy to rapidly detect pathogenic <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i>, <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>, and <i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> in bivalve mollusks and preliminary results

“…are gram-negative and halophilic bacteria widely distributed in the aquatic environment worldwide. To the genus Vibrio belong more than 100 species, of which 13 have been associated with human infection, and among them, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus , and Vibrio vulnificus are the most important (Castello et al ., 2022 ). Outbreaks of V. cholerae are common both in developed and developing countries.…”

“…In particular, in 2021, cholera-associated deaths surged globally. The infection is caused by the ingestion of the microorganism through contaminated food, and the incubation period ranges from 2 hours to 5 days (Castello et al ., 2022 ). V. parahaemolyticus is mainly associated with gastrointestinal infections, but it can also cause extraintestinal infections (Fleischmann et al ., 2022 ).…”

“…V. parahaemolyticus is mainly associated with gastrointestinal infections, but it can also cause extraintestinal infections (Fleischmann et al ., 2022 ). It is considered an emerging pathogen, and the infection in humans mainly occurs due to the consumption of contaminated foods, in particular undercooked fish and shellfish (Castello et al ., 2022 ; Ma et al , 2023 ). The virulence of V. parahaemolyticus depends on the presence of two virulence genes: a thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and a thermostable related hemolysin, encoded by the tdh and trh genes, respectively.…”

“…The virulence of V. parahaemolyticus depends on the presence of two virulence genes: a thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) and a thermostable related hemolysin, encoded by the tdh and trh genes, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus is often associated with human infections in the United States of America, Chile, and Japan, and to a lesser extent in the European Union (Castello et al ., 2022 ). V. vulnificus can be responsible for seafood-related gastroenteritis but is mainly associated with wound infection, which may lead to septicemia and even death (Fleischmann et al ., 2022 ).…”

Validity of cold storage and heat treatment on the deactivation of <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i> isolated from fish meat market

“…Despite their great nutritional content, aquatic goods nonetheless face several safety issues associated with their production methods and environmental dangers (Castello et al ., 2023 ). People are understandably worried about the safety of the food supply owing to the prevalence of dangerous bacteria in the marine environment across the globe.…”