Open AccessVirulence Gene- and Pandemic Group-Specific Marker Profiling of Clinical Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolates
Author(s) -
Carolyn E. Meador,
Michele M. Parsons,
Cheryl A. Bopp,
Peter GernerSmidt,
John A. Painter,
Gary J. Vora
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.00042-07
Subject(s) - vibrio parahaemolyticus , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , virulence , serotype , virology , pandemic , gene , genetics , bacteria , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , covid-19 , medicine , pathology
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a halophilic bacterium capable of causing food- and waterborne gastroenteritis, wound infections, and septicemia in humans. The organism has recently received increasing attention, as the emergence of a new clone,V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6, has resulted in the first documented pandemic spread ofV. parahaemolyticus . We used microarray analyses to explore the presence of known virulence factors and genetic markers thought to be specific forV. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 and its clonal derivatives. Analyses of 48 human clinical isolates collected between 1997 and 2005 revealed that theV. parahaemolyticus chromosome 2 type III secretion system is not specifically associated with pandemic strains and can be found intdh -negative (i.e., Kanagawa-negative) clinical isolates. These results highlight the genetic dynamism ofV. parahaemolyticus and aid in refining the genetic definition of the pandemic group members.