Kunbawui Parka, Jong Soo Moka, A Ra Ryua, Ji Young Kwonb, In Tae Hama, Kil Bo Shima,*
aFood Safety and Processing Research Division, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan 46083, Republic of Korea
bSoutheast Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Tongyeong 53085, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding author : Kil Bo Shim
Abstract
We determined the abundance and virulence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seawater and bivalves from the Gyeongnam coast in Korea, a major area for the seafood industry, during 2004?2016. V. parahaemolyticus is one of the most common pathogen causing seafood-borne illnesses in Korea, and increases during the summer. Its occurrence in seawater and bivalve samples was seasonally dependent, with high levels during the summer to early autumn. There were more strains in the area of sea continually exposed to inland wastewater. Only 5.1% and 3.5% of V. parahaemolyticus isolates from seawater and bivalves, respectively, had the trh gene, and only the bivalve isolates produced the tdh gene at levels below 2%. Continuous monitoring is clearly needed to reduce seafood-borne outbreaks of disease caused by V. parahaemolyticus, and to reveal the occurrence patterns and the presence of toxic genes of the strains in different marine environments.
Keywords : Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Marine environment, Virulence, Seafood-borne illness, Korea