Molecular characterization of vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrhoeal patients

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V.parahemolyticus) has become one of the most common enteric pathogens linked to gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and food poisoning worldwide. Subjects who presented with the clinical features and symptoms of acute diarrhea were included. This study was conducted in the infectious disease department, of a Communicable disease hospital (CDH). newlineOf 325 (n=137, 27.4%) clinically confirmed diarrhea, n = 73 (22.5%) were V.parahemolyticus, n = 138 (34.4%) were diarrheagenic Escherichia coli respectively.73 of the presumed V. parahaemolyticus colonies were purified on tryptic soy agar then identified by the biochemical test and confirmed by the presence of a specific target toxR gene. Isolates were detected by conventional and molecular methods using PCR. newlineA total of 29 V. parahaemolyticus were isolated (tdh positive, trh positive) from the diarrhoeal patients. All isolates were able to produce thermostable hemolysin and swarming motility. The detection of virulence genes, thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh), and thermostable-related hemolysin (trh), by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), showed the 22%, 12.3% presence of trh and tdh positive isolates. newlineThe assessment of antibiotic susceptibility of the V. parahaemolyticus isolated revealed a complete resistance to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ampicillin was seen in n=6 (8.2%), n=19 (26%), and n=73 (100%) of the isolates respectively. The antibiotic resistance and various virulence traits of clinical V. parahaemolyticus isolates are highlighted in this study and will be helpful in epidemiological and clinical investigations of this pathogenic bacterium. newlineKeywords: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, antibiotic, motility, virulence gene, thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh), and thermostable-related hemolysin (trh). newline newline