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Development of a More Sensitive and Specific Chromogenic Agar Medium for the Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Other Vibrio Species
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Vibrio parahaemolyticus O4:K8 forms a potential predominant clone in southern China as detected by whole-genome

Baisheng Li1, Xingfen Yang1, Hailing Tan1

  • 1Center for Diseases Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province, China.

International Journal of Food Microbiology
|January 11, 2017
PubMed

Insights

The emerging O4:K8 Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype in China shares virulence factors with the O3:K6 clone, indicating potential for widespread foodborne illness. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) aids in understanding its epidemiology.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Food Safety

Background:

  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common foodborne pathogen in southern China, with the O3:K6 clone historically dominant.
  • Recently, the O4:K8 serotype has increased in prevalence, necessitating molecular characterization for public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular characteristics of the prevalent O4:K8 Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype in southern China.
  • To compare the O4:K8 strains with the dominant O3:K6 clone and international strains using whole genome sequencing.

Main Methods:

  • Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 20 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains (O4:K8, O3:K6, O1:KUT) from foodborne diarrheal cases.
  • Phylogenetic analysis using WGS-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was conducted.
  • Comparative genome analysis focused on virulence genes, including T3SS-1, VpaI-7, VpaI-1, VpaI-4, VpaI-5, and VpaI-6.

Main Results:

  • All O4:K8 isolates were positive for the thermostable direct hemolysin gene (tdh) and negative for the TDH-related hemolysin gene (trh).
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed the O4:K8 strains form a distinct genetic lineage, separate from O3:K6, O1:KUT, and international strains.
  • O4:K8 strains possess key virulence factors (T3SS-1, VpaI-7) similar to the O3:K6 clone but lack certain regions (VpaI-1, VpaI-4) found in the O3:K6 pandemic strains.

Conclusions:

  • The O4:K8 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains in southern China exhibit distinct genomic features but share crucial virulence factors with the O3:K6 pandemic clone.
  • These shared virulence factors may contribute to the increasing prevalence of O4:K8 strains.
  • WGS-based analysis is a valuable tool for understanding the epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in foodborne disease surveillance.
Keywords:
Phylogenetic analysisSNPsVibrio parahaemolyticusWhole genome sequence

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