OCCURRENCE OF VIBRIO SPP. IN LOBSTER AND CRAB FROM THE PERSIAN GULFjfs_368 1

A total of 132 samples, including 100 lobsters and the 32 crab samples,were studied. A biochemical protocol was applied for the identification of the Vibrio isolates.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the isolated strains and to detect the tdh and trh genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.Vibrio spp.were detected in 25% of the samples analyzed in this study. Among the Vibrio isolates, Vibrio vulnificus was the species most frequently detected (13.6%), followed by Vibrio alginolyticus (9.09%), Vibrio mimicus (4.5%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio harveyi (3.03%).Vibrio cholerae was not found in the samples.PCR showed that none of the V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated contained the gene for thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh) and TDH-related hemolysin (trh). The isolates demonstrated strong resistance to commonly used antibiotics. The results indicate that lobster and crab from the Persian Gulf regularly contain pathogens relevant to public health

OCCURRENCE, VIBRIO, LOBSTER , PERSIAN GULF