AUTHOR=Haley Bradd J., Kokashvili Tamar , Tskshvediani Ana , Janelidze Nino , Mitaishvili Nino , Grim Christopher J., Constantin de Magny Guillaume , Chen Arlene J., Taviani Elisa , Eliashvili Tamar , Tediashvili Marina , Whitehouse Chris , Colwell Rita R., Huq Anwar 

TITLE=Molecular diversity and predictability of Vibrio parahaemolyticus along the Georgian coastal zone of the Black Sea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00045

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2014.00045

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</italic> is a leading cause of seafood-related gastroenteritis and is also an autochthonous member of marine and estuarine environments worldwide. One-hundred seventy strains of <italic>V</italic>. <italic>parahaemolyticus</italic> were isolated from water and plankton samples collected along the Georgian coast of the Black Sea during 28 months of sample collection. All isolated strains were tested for presence of <italic>tlh</italic>, <italic>trh</italic>, and <italic>tdh</italic>. A subset of strains were serotyped and tested for additional factors and markers of pandemicity. Twenty-six serotypes, five of which are clinically relevant, were identified. Although all 170 isolates were negative for <italic>tdh</italic>, <italic>trh</italic>, and the Kanagawa Phenomenon, 7 possessed the GS-PCR sequence and 27 the 850 bp sequence of <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic> pandemic strains. The <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic> population in the Black Sea was estimated to be genomically heterogeneous by rep-PCR and the serodiversity observed did not correlate with rep-PCR genomic diversity. Statistical modeling was used to predict presence of <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic> as a function of water temperature, with strongest concordance observed for Green Cape site samples (Percent of total variance = 70, <italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.001). Results demonstrate a diverse population of <italic>V</italic>. <italic>parahaemolyticus</italic> in the Black Sea, some of which carry pandemic markers, with increased water temperature correlated to an increase in abundance of <italic>V. parahaemolyticus</italic>.</p>