[Identification of Vibrio vulnificus from patients with otitis media and septicemia by PCR method]

Sucrose-negative colonies were isolated on TCBS agar plate from otorrhea specimens from otitis media patient in the Adult Diseases Examination Center, Hirosaki Medical Association. The isolate was identified as Vibrio vulnificus by nested PCR method which amplify V. vulnificus-specific sequences directed against 23S rRNA genes. The PCR method was applied to identify 6 strains originally isolated from septicemia patients in Kurashiki Central Hospital and formerly identified as V. vulnificus by phenotypic characteristics. When examined by the API20E system, the above PCR confirmed-V. vulnificus isolates were correctly identified as V. vulnificus with % ID 99.8, though this gave 3 different profiles. Cytotoxin-hemolysin gene was detected in otorrhea strain as well as septicemia strains by PCR method. The above results suggest that PCR method targeted cytotoxin-hemolysin gene is suitable for rapid and accurate identification of the isolate, because the result is obtained in less than 4 h. To our knowledge this is the first report on the V. vulnificus infection in Aomori Prefecture and the isolation from otorrhea.