Incidence and Phenotypic Pattern of Antibiotic Resistance of Vibrio Species Isolated from Seafood Samples Caught from the Persian Gulf

Abstract

Vibrio species, particularly V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. harveyi are considered as an imperative foodborne pathogens associated with seafood consumption. An existing survey was carried out to determine the incidence and antibiotic resistance of Vibrio spp. isolated from diverse kinds of seafood samples. Seven-hundred and forty seafood samples including fish, shrimp, oyster, crab and shellfish were collected from the Boushehr port, Persian Gulf, Iran. Seafood samples were examined by culture method. Identification of Vibrio isolates was done by the PCR. Antibiotic resistance of bacteria was assessed by the disk diffusion. Seventy-nine out of 740 (10.67%) seafood samples were contaminated with Vibrio spp. Incidence of V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. harveyi amongst the seafood samples was 18.98%, 41.77%, 13.92% and 10.12%, respectively. Incidence of other Vibrio species was 15.18%. The uppermost rate of contamination was found in shellfish (14.66%), shrimp (12%) and oyster (12%). The uppermost incidence of resistance was found toward tetracycline, penicillin, gentamicin, ampicillin, erythromycin and streptomycin. The lowermost rate of resistance was found toward vancomycin, nalidixic acid and azithromycin. Fish, shrimp, crab and oyster samples were considered as the main sources of transmission of V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. harveyi bacteria. Proper cooking of seafoods before consumption and monitor the antibiotic prescription can reduce the risk of transmission of antibiotic resistant-Vibrio spp. through seafood consumption. Nevertheless, supplementary surveys are essential to originate more specifics about the impact of Vibrio spp. in seafood samples.