Ecological determinants of the occurrence and dynamics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in offshore areas.

ABSTRACT: The life cycle of Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been conventionally associated with estuarine areas characterized by moderate salinity and warm seawater temperatures. Recent evidence suggests that the distribution and population dynamics of V. parahaemolyticus may be shaped by the existence of an oceanic transport of communities of this organism mediated by zooplankton. To evaluate this possibility, the presence of V. parahaemolyticus in the water column of offshore areas of Galicia was investigated by PCR monthly over an 18-month period. Analysis of zooplankton and seawater showed that the occurrence of V. parahaemolyticus in offshore areas was almost exclusively associated with zooplankton and was present in 80% of the samples. The influence of environmental factors assessed by generalized

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Urtaza J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3329108 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature