The Pathogenicity of<i>Shewanella algae</i>and Ability to Tolerate a Wide Range of Temperatures and Salinities

Abstract

<i>Shewanella algae</i> is a rod-shaped Gram-negative marine bacterium frequently found in nonhuman sources such as aquatic ecosystems and has been shown to be the pathogenic agent in various clinical cases due to the ingestion of raw seafood. The results of this study showed that <i>S. algae</i> was present in approximately one in four samples, including water and shellfish samples. Positive reactions (API systems) in <i>S. algae</i> strains were seen for gelatinase (gelatin); however, negative reactions were found for indole production (tryptophan). <i>S. algae</i> is adapted to a wide range of temperatures (4°C, 25°C, 37°C, and 42°C) and salinity. Temperature is a key parameter in the pathogenicity of <i>S. algae</i> as it appears to induce hemolysis at 25°C and 37°C. <i>S. algae</i> exhibits pathogenic characteristics at widely varying temperatures, which suggests that it may have the ability to adapt to climate change.