A PCR Assay for Specific Detection of the Pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 Clone from Shellfish

P.S. Marie Yeung, Cornell University
A. DePaola, Cornell University
C. A. Kaysner, Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory- Food and Drug Administration
K. J. Boor, Seafood Products Research Center - Food and Drug Administration

Article comments

Copyright © 2003 Institute of Food Technologies. The published article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2003.tb09667.x. The definitive version is available at Blackwell-Synergy.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author P.S. Marie Yeung was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

The current standard method for identifying Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype O3:K6, an emerging pathogen with apparent enhanced virulence characteristics, typically takes 4 to 6 d to complete and requires serotyping. To provide a more rapid strategy, we optimized a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6. Of 78 V. parahaemolyticus isolates and other related species; only strains classified into the V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 clonal group (n = 39) showed positive results in the PCR assay. The assay detected 2.3 cells/PCR reaction and 310 cells/g using bacterial cultures and inoculated oyster samples, respectively. Sensitive and specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 was possible following a 6-h enrichment.