Quantification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Using a Most Probable Number-Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Targeting the H-NS gene

Abstract

We applied a combination of most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) methods using a PCR procedure targeting the H-NS (VP1133) gene to detect Vibrio parahaemolyticus presence and density in seawater as well as within short-necked clam Ruditapes philippinarum tissues collected from Gomso Bay, Korea. In 30 seawater samples, V. parahaemolyticus levels ranged from less than 1.8 to 1.1×10³ MPN/100 mL, and samples from August showed higher than those from other months. Furthermore, the levels of V. parahaemolyticus in six short-necked clam samples ranged from 7.8×10² to 2.1×10³ MPN/100 g, approximately 2.5 times higher than in seawater samples from the corresponding month. Our results provide data on V. parahaemolyticus contamination in seawater and shortnecked clam tissues, and help to improve quantitative methods of assessing V. parahaemolytcius levels.