Presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in aquaculture shrimp, fish and environment

• Main Author: Nur Syahirah, Shafiin
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English; English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2014
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QH301 Biology
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34425/1/Nur%20Syahirah%20Binti%20Shafiin%2024pgs.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34425/4/Nur%20Syahirah%20Binti%20Shafiin%20ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34425/

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is considered as an important foodborne pathogen causing significant economic problems within the aquaculture industry worldwide. Fish samples and shrimp samples including environmental samples were collected from Bau and Bako, Kuching, Sarawak aquaculture farm respectively. A total of 158 samples were collected from both aquaculture farms between December, 2013 and April, 2014. The simultaneous enumeration and detection of V. parahaemolyticus were carried out by using Most Probable Number (MPN) method followed by species specific PCR assay targeting the toxR gene (regulatory gene). Thirty two out of 162 (19.8%) isolates of shrimp samples, twenty six out of 324 (8.0%) isolates from water samples and twenty two out of 324 (6.8%) isolates of sediment samples were confirmed positive for toxR gene. However, none of the isolates from fish samples were positive for the targeted gene. This study concluded that V. parahaemolyticus were present in low concentration of the shrimp and environmental samples examined. Thus, the data obtained in this study can be applied for future studies on the risk assessment of V. parahaemolyticus in Malaysian food and aquaculture industry.