Quantification of Vibrio vulnificus in an Estuarine Environment: a Multi-Year Analysis Using QPCR

Wetz, Jennifer J.; Fries, J. Stephen; Williams, Zachary; Noble, Rachel T.

doi:10.1007/s12237-013-9682-4

Cited by 26 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Positive correlations (38,51,54,55) and negative correlations (54, 79) have been described in water, oysters, and sediment (41, 80) ( Table 5). V. vulnificus in Chesapeake Bay was correlated with lower salinities in a 1996 study (81).…”

Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Chlorophyll levels have been positively correlated with V. vulnificus in water (r=0.537) (51), oysters (regression coefficient b=1.3), and sediment (b=1.1) (38) ( Table 5). In a 2014 study, chlorophyll was negatively correlated with V. vulnificus in water samples (55).…”

Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Total V. vulnificus has been correlated with temperature in water (31,37,38,43,47,51,52,53,54,55), in oysters (37,38,41), and in sediment (37,41,47) (Table 5). As with other studies, there were wide ranges of sampling and detection approaches but the importance of temperature was consistent.…”

Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although these studies have not focused on the top three human pathogens, they are important because they shed light on the ecology of naturally occurring vibrios and because of the relationships with pathogens with which they may exchange genetic material. Positive relationships have been described between temperature and total vibrios in the waters of Germany (58,59), North Carolina (31,55,60,61), the country of Georgia (62), the state of Georgia (63), Italy (64,65), South Africa (66), and Germany (47). Interestingly, negative correlations have also been described between temperature and total vibrios in the waters of India (46,67) and Louisiana (68).…”

Section: Other Vibriosmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Environmental Factors onVibriospp. in Coastal Ecosystems

Johnson

2015

Microbiol Spectr

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Various studies have examined the relationships between vibrios and the environmental conditions surrounding them. However, very few reviews have compiled these studies into cohesive points. This may be due to the fact that these studies examine different environmental parameters, use different sampling, detection, and enumeration methodologies, and occur in diverse geographic locations. The current article is one approach to compile these studies into a cohesive work that assesses the importance of environmental determinants on the abundance of vibrios in coastal ecosystems.

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Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Vibrio Vulnificusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Other Vibriosmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Environmental Factors onVibriospp. in Coastal Ecosystems

Johnson

2015

Microbiol Spectr

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“…The majority of studies that explored the temporal distribution of V. vulnificus analyzed only water and/or oyster matrices (4,6,10,(13)(14)(15). However, the densities of V. vulnificus were often greater in sediments and floc compared to the water column in Apalachicola Bay, FL (16,17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment and Vegetation as Reservoirs of Vibrio vulnificus in the Tampa Bay Estuary and Gulf of Mexico

Chase

Young

Harwood

2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The opportunistic pathogen Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in estuarine habitats and is readily cultured from water and oysters under warm conditions but infrequently at ambient conditions of <15°C. The presence of V. vulnificus in other habitats, such as sediments and aquatic vegetation, has been explored much less frequently. This study investigated the ecology of V. vulnificus in water by culture and quantitative PCR (qPCR) and in sediment, oysters, and aquatic vegetation by culture. V. vulnificus samples were taken from five sites around Tampa Bay, FL. Levels determined by qPCR and culture were significantly correlated (P ‫؍‬ 0.0006; r ‫؍‬ 0.352); however, V. vulnificus was detected significantly more frequently by qPCR (85% of all samples) compared to culture (43%). Culturable V. vulnificus bacteria were recovered most frequently from oyster samples (70%), followed by vegetation and sediment (ϳ50%) and water (43%). Water temperature, which ranged from 18.5 to 33.4°C, was positively correlated with V. vulnificus concentrations in all matrices but sediments. Salinity, which ranged from 1 to 35 ppt, was negatively correlated with V. vulnificus levels in water and sediments but not in other matrices. Significant interaction effects between matrix and temperature support the hypothesis that temperature affects V. vulnificus concentrations differently in different matrices and that sediment habitats may serve as seasonal reservoirs for V. vulnificus. V. vulnificus levels in vegetation have not been previously measured and reveal an additional habitat for this autochthonous estuarine bacterium. Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen that causes gastroenteritis and rapidly fulminating, frequently fatal septicemia (1). Wounds may become infected by V. vulnificus via contact with seawater, fish, or oysters, which may result in necrotizing fasciitis leading to limb amputation (2). Although certain medical conditions act as predisposing factors for infectivity (1, 3), the bacterium remains a threat to shellfish consumers, beachgoers, and those who engage in fishing activities.Vibrio vulnificus is found in estuaries of tropical and temperate waters where it faces frequently changing aspects of its environment (4, 5). Culturable concentrations of V. vulnificus typically decline with decreasing water temperature (6, 7). The highest concentrations are observed during warm months, and the bacterium may enter a viable but not culturable (VBNC) state when water temperature falls below ϳ15°C (8-10). Salinity influences culturable concentrations of V. vulnificus, as the highest levels are generally observed at salinities ranging from 5 to 25‰ (6, 11), and in vitro experiments found that optimal growth occurs in salinities of between 5 and 30‰ (12).The marked reduction or absence of culturable V. vulnificus cells in the environment during the winter, followed by its reappearance as waters warm (4,5,7,13), suggests that physiological adaptations exist for overwintering. The majority of studies that explored the t...

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