Prevalence of <i>Vibrio</i> spp. in raw shrimps (<i>Parapenaeus longirostris</i>) and performance of a chromogenic medium for the isolation of <i>Vibrio</i> strains

Abstract

A significant proportion of shrimps marketed and consumed in Morocco are caught in the coastal region of the city of Agadir. This study provides interesting data of prevalence of Vibrio spp. in raw shrimps as well as better understanding of their potential virulence. It is apparent from this study that genes and primers used in multiplex PCR for identification and detection of virulence factors, can be used to monitor shrimps for the presence of potentially pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The results highlight the added value of using a chromogenic medium for research and isolation of pathogenic Vibrio in seafood, more specific and accurate than TCBS.