Introdução - Vibrio metschnikovii é um bacilo gram-negativo, potencialmente patogênico, amplamente distribuído e isolado de ecossistemas aquáticos e raramente de amostras clínicas de humanos. Na triagem laboratorial para espécies do gênero Vibrio, Vibrio metschnikovii é descartado por ser oxidase negativa, característica que o diferencia das demais espécies patogênicas. Em relação à pesquisa do perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos, esta é pouco realizada com isolados de origem ambiental. Objetivos - Isolar e identificar genotipicamente Vibrio metschnikovii de amostras ambientais e caracterizar seu perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos. Métodos - Um total de dez amostras foram obtidas de Março a Agosto de 2009, sendo uma de molusco (vôngole), três de peixe (pescada, sardinha e tainha) e seis de esgoto (três de esgoto bruto e três de esgoto tratado). O isolamento foi inicialmente realizado em meio seletivo para Vibrio (ágar TCBS) e a confirmação da espécie foi feita com iniciadores específicos através da PCR utilizando o DNA extraído pela técnica de choque térmico. O antibiograma foi realizado com base no documento M45-A CLSI 2006, seguindo a técnica de disco difusão, empregando quinze antibióticos. Foi realizada a pesquisa de genes de resistência a beta-lactâmicos e aminoglicosídeos. Resultados - De 123 isolados com características típicas para a espécie, 70 foram confirmados como Vibrio metschnikovii através da PCR, sendo 43 de amostras de molusco e peixes e 27 de esgoto. Um total de 66 isolados foi resistente a pelo menos um antibiótico, mas nenhum gene de resistência foi detectado. Conclusões - Os resultados indicam que Vibrio metschnikovii pode ser isolado de diferentes amostras de origem ambiental, demonstrando que esses microrganismos podem ter distribuição mais ampla que o descrito na literatura. A PCR foi uma ferramenta fundamental para superar a fragilidade da identificação da espécie segundo o método fenotípico. Além disso, a resistência observada mostra que Vibrio metschnikovii pode atuar como um reservatório de genes de resistência que podem ser facilmente transferidos entre microrganismos em um mesmo ambiente. O perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos pode ser utilizado como referência na caracterização clínica deste patógeno em potencial, auxiliando na conduta terapêutica em casos de ocorrência de doentes acometidos pelo microrganismo em questão / Introduction - Vibrio metschnikovii is a gram-negative bacillus, potentially pathogenic, widely distributed and isolated from aquatic ecosystems and rarely from human clinical samples. At laboratorial screening for the species of the Vibrio genus, Vibrio metschnikovii is discarded for being oxidase negative, characteristic that differentiates it from the others pathogenic species. With regard to the research of antibiotic susceptibility profile, this is seldom done with environmental isolates. Objectives - To isolate and genotypically identify Vibrio metschnikovii from environmental samples and characterize the antibiotic susceptibility profile. Method - A total of ten samples were obtained from March to August 2009, with one of them originated from mussel (vongole), tree of fish (whitefish, sardine and mullet) and six from sewage (three from raw sewage and three from treated sewage). The isolation was initially performed in a selective medium for Vibrio (TCBS agar) and the specie confirmation was done with specific primers through PCR using DNA extracted by the thermal shock technique. The antibiogram was performed according to the document M45-A from CLSI 2006, following the technique of disk diffusion, using fifteen antibiotics. The research for beta-lactams and aminoglycosides resistance genes was also performed. Results Seventy out of 123 isolates, with typical characteristics for the specie, were confirmed as Vibrio metschnikovii by PCR, with 43 originated from mussel and fish and 27 from sewage. A total of 66 isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, however no resistance gene was detected. Conclusions The results indicate that Vibrio metschnikovii can be isolated from different samples of ambient origin, demonstrating that these microorganisms can have wider distribution than the described in literature. The PCR was a fundamental tool to overcome the fragility of the specie identification according to the phenotypic method. Furthermore, the resistance found shows that Vibrio metschnikovii can act as a reservoir of resistance genes that can easily be transferred between microorganisms in the same environment. The antibiotic susceptibility profile can be used as reference at the clinical characterization of this potential pathogen, assisting therapeutic management in cases of patients affected by this microorganism

A poluição dos rios brasileiros é, atualmente, um grande problema para as autoridades governamentais já que a demanda dos recursos hídricos vem crescendo nos últimos anos. Os rios Tietê, Pinheiros e Tamanduateí foram de grande importância para a cidade de São Paulo em seu período de industrialização, contudo o próprio desenvolvimento industrial impactou permanentemente os mesmos. Preocupados com a saúde ambiental, órgãos fiscalizadores estaduais iniciaram forte fiscalização para coibir e responsabilizar os principais culpados. Esta política pública resultou em uma diminuição das concentrações de poluentes orgânicos e inorgânicos, porém muito pouco foi efetivamente feito com relação ao esgoto doméstico, e, como consequência, a toxicidade das águas dos rios permanece elevada. Os estudos de Avaliação e identificação da toxicidade englobam diversas metodologias reunidas em três documentos pela USEPA - Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos Estados Unidos, onde método físico-químico e testes toxicológicos são usados para identificar substâncias tóxicas, ou grupo de substâncias tóxicas que contribuem efetivamente para a toxicidade total de uma amostra. A abordagem rotineiramente utilizada baseia-se no fracionamento da amostra de acordo com suas propriedades físico-químicas: volatilidade, solubilidade e capacidade de formar complexos, ou de ser reduzida, oxidada, ionizada, entre outras. Em conjunto com os ensaios químicos, os ensaios toxicológicos, em especial o Sistema Microtox®, contribuem na investigação da toxicidade para os rios metropolitanos Tietê, Pinheiros e Tamanduateí, que se mostrou eficaz na determinação dos grupos de compostos, sendo os compostos orgânicos apolares, orgânicos voláteis, tensoativos e as partículas, as principais fontes da toxicidade para esses rios. Embora muitas informações sobre a toxicidade tenham sido descobertas, a identificação dos compostos só pode ser realizada por análises químicas mais robustas uma vez que um grande número de substâncias, metabólitos e subprodutos de degradação são facilmente encontrados neste tipo de amostra. Mesmo sofrendo algumas modificações, deve-se incentivar o uso desta metodologia para outros rios a fim de determinar os principais toxicantes responsáveis pela toxicidade. / Pollution of Brazilian rivers is currently a major problem for government authorities as demand for water resources has been increasing in recent years. Tietê, Pinheiros and Tamanduateí rivers were of great importance for the city of São Paulo during its industrialization period, however, the industrial development itself permanently impacted them. Concerned about environmental health, state supervisory bodies have begun strong enforcement to curb and hold the main culprits accountable. This public policy has resulted in a decrease in concentrations of organic and inorganic chemicals, but very little has been done in relation to domestic sewage, and as a consequence, the toxicity of the rivers remains high. The Toxicology Assessment and Identification studies encompass various methodologies gathered in three documents by the USEPA, where physico-chemical method and toxicological tests are used to identify toxic substances, or group of toxic substances that effectively contribute to the total toxicity of a sample. The routinely used approach is based on fractionation of the sample according to its physicochemical properties: volatility, solubility and chemical properties such as the ability to form complexes, or to be reduced, oxidized, ionized, among others. In conjunction with the chemical tests, the toxicological tests in particular the Microtox® System contribute to the investigation of the toxicity to the metropolitan rivers, Tietê, Pinheiros and Tamanduateí, which proved to be effective in the determination of the groups of compounds, the organic compounds being apolar, organic volatiles, surfactants and particulates, the main sources of toxicity for the studied rivers. Although much information on toxicity has been discovered, the identification of compounds can only be performed by more robust chemical analyzes since a large number of substances, metabolites, degradation byproducts are readily found in this type of sample. Even with some modifications, it is necessary to encourage the use of this methodology for other rivers in order to determine the main xenobiotics responsible for toxicity.

Qi Wei. / "November 2003." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-185). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2017-02-21T16:11:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Roseli Pimentel Pinheiro e Silva.pdf: 245935 bytes, checksum: 769eb187840e50bd513ec06abe7683e0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-21T16:11:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Roseli Pimentel Pinheiro e Silva.pdf: 245935 bytes, checksum: 769eb187840e50bd513ec06abe7683e0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-22 / Considering the illnesses are barriers for the development of the carcinicultura, the vibriose has the possibility to occur for having as etiologic agent bacteria autochtonous of marine environment, it was objectified identification of the interferentes factors in the frequency of this disease. Four situated farms in the south coast of Pernambuco had been selected of which samples of water and shrimp during all had been collected monthly the phases of culture in two different climatic cycles (wet and rainy). Esteem the load of Vibrio spp., samples of water, post larvae had been analyzed, hemolymph and hepatopancreas and the countings had been correlated, through the use of mathematical models (P<0,05), with the variable - physical and chemical of the water, season, microscopical observation, histopathology, presence of toxins and production management methods. With it was observed that only the changeable time of culture intervened with the total counting of Vibrio spp. The counts varying from 0 to 2,9 x 104 in the water, from 0 to 2,1 x 105 in post larvae, from 0,1 x 10 to 1,1 x 105 in hemolymph and from 7,0 x 10 to 1,1 x 106UFC/mL/g in the hepatopancreas. The load of vibrionáceos increases with cycle duration, and it does not suffer influence from the variable physical and chemical of the water, of the handling, of the toxin presence. / Considerando as doenças como barreiras ao desenvolvimento da carcinicultura, a vibriose tem a possibilidade de ocorrer por ter como agente etiológico bactérias autóctones de ambiente marinho, objetivou-se a identificação dos fatores interferentes na freqüência desta enfermidade. Quatro fazendas situadas na costa sul de Pernambuco foram selecionadas das quais foram coletadas mensalmente amostras de água e camarão durante todas as fases de cultivo em dois diferentes ciclos climáticos (estio e chuvoso). Para estimar a carga de Vibrio spp., analisaram-se amostras de água, pós-larva, hemolinfa e hepatopâncreas e as contagens foram correlacionadas, pela utilização de modelos matemáticos (P<0,05), com as variáveis – estação do ano, variáveis físicas e químicas da água, exames a fresco e histopatológico, presença de toxinas e técnicas de manejo empregadas. Observou-se que apenas a variável tempo de cultivo interferiu na contagem total de Vibrio spp. As contagens variaram de 0 a 2,9 x 104 na água, 0 a 2,1 x 105 na pós-larva, 0,1 x 10 a 1,1 x 105 na hemolinfa e 7,0 x 10 a 1,1 x 106UFC/mL/g no hepatopâncreas. A carga de vibrionáceos aumenta com tempo de cultivo, e não sofre influência das variáveis físicas e químicas da água, do manejo e da presença de toxinas.

Neste estudo, 26 amostras de ostras (Crassostrea gigas) comercializadas na cidade de São Paulo e em alguns pontos do litoral de São Paulo, e 36 amostras de mexilhões (Perna perna) colhidas mensalmente em 3 pontos do litoral de Ubatuba - SP, foram submetidas à pesquisa de vibrios potencialmente patogênicos. As amostras desses moluscos eram submetidas a enriquecimento em água peptonada alcalina sem cloreto de sódio e com 1 por cento de cloreto de sódio, e GSTB. O isolamento foi realizado em ágar TCBS. Colônias sacarose positivas e negativas, sugestivas de espécies de Vibrio foram identificadas presuntivamente em meio de ágar ferro de Kligler, sendo confirmadas através de provas bioqufmicas complementares. Uma parte das amostras de vibrios potencialmente patogênicos isoladas foi submetida ao teste de Dean e teste de alça ligada em íleo de coelhos. Os vibrios potencialmente patogênicos encontrados em amostras de ostras foram V. alginolyticus (81 por cento ), V.parahaemolyticus (77 por cento ), V. cholerae não 0:1 (31 por cento ), V. fluvialis (27 por cento ), V. furnissii (19 por cento ), V. mimicus (12 por cento ) e V. vulnificus (12 por cento ) e em amostras de mexilhões foram V. alginolyticus(97 por cento ), V. parahaemolyticus(75 por cento ), V. fluvialis (47 por cento ), V. vulnificus (11 por cento ), V. cholerae não 0:1 (6 por cento ), V. furnissii (6 por cento ) e V. mimicus (6 por cento ). Observou-se acúmulo de fluido em alça ligada de íleo de coelho entre 0,25 e 0,49 ml/cm em 6,9 por cento das amostras, entre 0,5 e 0,99 ml/cm em 15,6 por cento e maior ou igual a 1 ml/cm em 15,1 por cento , e/ou intestino de camundongos lactentes (Teste de Dean) em 26,6 por cento das amostras testadas, confirmando o elevado potencial desses microrganismos em causar gastrenterite. Verificou-se ausência de variação sazonal e também, de correlação entre os vibrios potencialmente patogênicos isolados e os indicadores de contaminação fecal, confirmando que a presença desses microrganismos ocorre de forma autóctone e que, as condições climáticas foram favoráveis à sobrevivência dessas espécies em todas as épocas do ano. Considerando-se os resultados obtidos no presente estudo e o fato de que ostras e mexilhões são habitualmente ingeridos crus ou insuficientemente cozidos, pode-se concluir que sua ingestão constitui-se em um determinado grau de risco para a saúde do consumidor. / In this work, 26 oysters samples (Crassostrea gigas), found in the market of São Paulo city and some coastal areas of São Paulo State, and 36 mussels samples (Perna perna), that were collected monthly in 3 coastal areas of Ubatuba city - SP., were analyzed for the potential patogenic vibrios occurrence. Samples were enriched in alcalin peptone water with (1 per cent ) and without sodium cloride and GSTB. Isolation was performed on TCBS agar. suspect sacharosis positive and negative colonies, resembling vibrio species, were presumptively identified on Kligler iron agar, and confirmed by complementary biochemical tests. Some of this potential patogenic vibrios were submitted to suckling mouse assay and rabbit ileal loop assay. Potential patogenic vibrios isolated from oyster samples were: V. alginolyticus (81 per cent ), V. parahaemolyticus (77 per cent ), V. cholerae non 0:1 (31 per cent ), V. fluvialis (27 per cent ) I V. furnissii (19 per cent ), V. mimicus (12 per cent ) and V. vulnificus (12 per cent ) and from mussels samples were: V. a.1ginolyticus (97 per cent ), V. parabaemolyticus (75 per cent ), V. fluvialis (47 per cent ), V. vulnificus (11 per cent ), V. cholerae non 0:1 (6 per cent ), V. furnissii (6 per cent ) and V. mimicus (6 per cent ). It was found 6,9 per cent of samples between 0,25 and 0,49 ml/cm of fluid accumulation in ileal loop assay, 15,6 per cent between 0,5 and 0,99 ml/cm and 15,1 per cent was equal or higher than 1 ml/cm. Among the samples assayed for suckling mouse 26,6 per cent were positive. These results confirm the high potential of these microrganisms to induce gastroenteritis. Seasonal variation as well as correlation between the potential patogenic vibrios isolated and the fecal contamination indicators were not found, confirming that the presence of such microrganisms occurs autochthonously and that the climate conditions were favourable to these species survival during the whole year. with the results of this work and considering that oyster and mussels are usually ingested raw or insufficiently cooked, the conclusion is that the ingestion of such mollusks presents a certain degree of risk for the consumer\'s health.

Introdução - Vibrio metschnikovii é um bacilo gram-negativo, potencialmente patogênico, amplamente distribuído e isolado de ecossistemas aquáticos e raramente de amostras clínicas de humanos. Na triagem laboratorial para espécies do gênero Vibrio, Vibrio metschnikovii é descartado por ser oxidase negativa, característica que o diferencia das demais espécies patogênicas. Em relação à pesquisa do perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos, esta é pouco realizada com isolados de origem ambiental. Objetivos - Isolar e identificar genotipicamente Vibrio metschnikovii de amostras ambientais e caracterizar seu perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos. Métodos - Um total de dez amostras foram obtidas de Março a Agosto de 2009, sendo uma de molusco (vôngole), três de peixe (pescada, sardinha e tainha) e seis de esgoto (três de esgoto bruto e três de esgoto tratado). O isolamento foi inicialmente realizado em meio seletivo para Vibrio (ágar TCBS) e a confirmação da espécie foi feita com iniciadores específicos através da PCR utilizando o DNA extraído pela técnica de choque térmico. O antibiograma foi realizado com base no documento M45-A CLSI 2006, seguindo a técnica de disco difusão, empregando quinze antibióticos. Foi realizada a pesquisa de genes de resistência a beta-lactâmicos e aminoglicosídeos. Resultados - De 123 isolados com características típicas para a espécie, 70 foram confirmados como Vibrio metschnikovii através da PCR, sendo 43 de amostras de molusco e peixes e 27 de esgoto. Um total de 66 isolados foi resistente a pelo menos um antibiótico, mas nenhum gene de resistência foi detectado. Conclusões - Os resultados indicam que Vibrio metschnikovii pode ser isolado de diferentes amostras de origem ambiental, demonstrando que esses microrganismos podem ter distribuição mais ampla que o descrito na literatura. A PCR foi uma ferramenta fundamental para superar a fragilidade da identificação da espécie segundo o método fenotípico. Além disso, a resistência observada mostra que Vibrio metschnikovii pode atuar como um reservatório de genes de resistência que podem ser facilmente transferidos entre microrganismos em um mesmo ambiente. O perfil de suscetibilidade a antibióticos pode ser utilizado como referência na caracterização clínica deste patógeno em potencial, auxiliando na conduta terapêutica em casos de ocorrência de doentes acometidos pelo microrganismo em questão / Introduction - Vibrio metschnikovii is a gram-negative bacillus, potentially pathogenic, widely distributed and isolated from aquatic ecosystems and rarely from human clinical samples. At laboratorial screening for the species of the Vibrio genus, Vibrio metschnikovii is discarded for being oxidase negative, characteristic that differentiates it from the others pathogenic species. With regard to the research of antibiotic susceptibility profile, this is seldom done with environmental isolates. Objectives - To isolate and genotypically identify Vibrio metschnikovii from environmental samples and characterize the antibiotic susceptibility profile. Method - A total of ten samples were obtained from March to August 2009, with one of them originated from mussel (vongole), tree of fish (whitefish, sardine and mullet) and six from sewage (three from raw sewage and three from treated sewage). The isolation was initially performed in a selective medium for Vibrio (TCBS agar) and the specie confirmation was done with specific primers through PCR using DNA extracted by the thermal shock technique. The antibiogram was performed according to the document M45-A from CLSI 2006, following the technique of disk diffusion, using fifteen antibiotics. The research for beta-lactams and aminoglycosides resistance genes was also performed. Results Seventy out of 123 isolates, with typical characteristics for the specie, were confirmed as Vibrio metschnikovii by PCR, with 43 originated from mussel and fish and 27 from sewage. A total of 66 isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, however no resistance gene was detected. Conclusions The results indicate that Vibrio metschnikovii can be isolated from different samples of ambient origin, demonstrating that these microorganisms can have wider distribution than the described in literature. The PCR was a fundamental tool to overcome the fragility of the specie identification according to the phenotypic method. Furthermore, the resistance found shows that Vibrio metschnikovii can act as a reservoir of resistance genes that can easily be transferred between microorganisms in the same environment. The antibiotic susceptibility profile can be used as reference at the clinical characterization of this potential pathogen, assisting therapeutic management in cases of patients affected by this microorganism

Vibrio vulnificus is a model environmental organism exhibiting a classical starvation response during nutrient limitation as well as a non-culturable state when exposed to low temperatures. In addition to these classic global responses, this organism is an opportunistic pathogen that exhibits numerous virulence factors. This organism was chosen as the model organism for the identification of regulators of the viable but nonculturable response (VBNC) and the starvation-induced maintenance of culturability (SIMC) that occurs when cells are starved prior to low temperature incubation. In order to accomplish this, three indirect approaches were used; proteomics, investigation of intercellular signalling pathways and genetic analysis of regulators involved in these responses. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to identify proteins expressed under conditions that induced SIMC. It was determined that carbon and long-term phosphorus starvation were important in the SIMC response. V. vulnificus was shown to possess genes, luxS and smcR, that are homologues of genes involved in signalling system system 2 in Vibrio harveyi. Signal molecules were produced upon starvation and the entry to stationary phase in V. vulnificus. Furthermore, a null mutation in smcR, a transcriptional regulator was shown to have pleiotropic effects in V. vulnificus, including up-regulation of numerous virulence factors and a defect in starvation survival and development of the SIMC response. We propose that V. vulnificus possesses a signalling system analogous to that of system 2 in V. harveyi, and that this system is involved in the regulation of stationary phase and starvation adaptation in this organism.

"May, 2004" / Includes corrigenda. / includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-156) / [13], 155 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology, 2005

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative, halophilic, human pathogenic bacterium ubiquitous in the marine environment. Like many Vibrio species, V. parahaemolyticus commonly associates with shellfish, particularly oysters. Ingestion of a raw or under cooked oysters contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus can cause gastroenteritis, which is typically self-limiting and rarely causes death. Globally, oyster production is highly lucrative, especially on the West Coast of the United States where approximately 60% of oyster production occurs each year. Outbreaks of V. parahaemolyticus can result in a significant public health problem as well as an economic burden for the oyster farms implicated in the outbreak. With the increase in overall V. parahaemolyticus outbreaks, improved post-harvest processing strategies have been developed to reduce this natural contaminant. Depuration was developed to allow shellfish to purge contaminants from their tissues into the clean, flowing seawater where they are held. This post-harvest processing technique can typically reduce fecal contaminants from the oyster tissues but is relatively ineffective at eliminating V. parahaemolyticus and other Vibrio species.. Thus, improved methods for reducing this and other human pathogenic Vibrio are needed to effectively produce safer oysters for the consumer. To develop more effective and novel V. parahaemolyticus intervention strategies, first we must identify the factors that are involved in V. parahaemolyticus colonization of the oyster, allowing them toresist depuration. This study sought to investigate specific factors utilized by V. parahaemolyticus and, in the process, determined that various strains of V. parahaemolyticus have different alleles of the Type IV pili, mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA)and chitin-regulated pilus (PilA). In addition, we expanded our investigations into the allelic diversity of MSHA and PilA from Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus and found that V. cholerae strains that possess the Type IV toxin co-regulated pilus (TCP) maintained highly conserved MSHA and PilA sequences while strains of V. cholerae without TCP, and all of the V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus strains examined, had highly divergent sequences with no discernable connection to isolation source or observed phenotype. Following that discovery, we determined that Type I, and Type IV pili, as well as polar and lateral flagellar systems contribute to V. parahaemolyticus persistence in the Pacific oyster during depuration, while Type III secretion systems and phase variation do not. Overall, we have identified factors involved in colonization of the Pacific oyster by V. parahaemolyticus. Future studies investigating conditions that affect pili and flagella production in V. parahaemolyticus may provide novel depuration conditions that could easily and effectively increase the efficiency of oyster depuration, ultimately reducing the risk of seafood-borne illness by V. parahaemolyticus associated with oysters. / Graduation date: 2013

Vibrio spp., natural inhabitants of aquatic environments, are one of the most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world, being spread to humans via the ingestion of seafood, contaminated drinking water or exposure to seawater. The majority of Vibrio spp. are avirulent, but certain strains may sporadically be human pathogenic. Vibrio cholerae may cause cholera and fatal wound infections, Vibrio parahaemolyticus may cause gastroenteritis and Vibrio vulnificus may cause wound infections and sepsis. To expand current knowledge of the occurrence, ecological niche and persistence of potential human pathogenic Vibrio spp. in aquatic environments, occurrence and laboratory studies were performed. The seasonal variation of Vibrio spp. in clams and mussels from Mozambique and Sweden were studied, with isolated strains characterized and compared with those isolated from water samples collected in India. Results showed that the numbers of Vibrio spp. in Mozambican clams peaked during the warmer rainy season and that the dominating species was V. parahaemolyticus. Biochemical fingerprinting and virulence screened by PCR revealed a high similarity among strains from the different aquatic environments. However, isolate functional hemolytic analyses and antibiotic resistance patterns differed between strains; Swedish and Indian strains were less sensitive to the tested antibiotics and had a lower hemolytic capacity than those from Mozambique. Molecular analysis of bacterial DNA from Swedish mussels showed the presence of the three Vibrio spp. most commonly linked with human illness, as well as their associated virulence genes. The strains isolated from marine and clinical environments were equally and highly harmful to the tested eukaryotic cells. The persistence of clinical V. cholerae in aquatic environments was investigated in vivo. Strains were exposed to mussels, with bacterial uptake and elimination then examined. The mussels were able to avoid the most potent strain by complete closure of shells. The less potent strain was accumulated in mussel tissue in low levels and one marine control strain to a higher degree. Mussels eliminated the pathogenic strain less efficiently than they did the marine strain. One clinical and one marine strain were then exposed to 4°C for 21 days, with the temperature then increased to 20°C. The clinical strain was more prone to lose culturability than the marine strain at 4°C, the former performed significantly better in regaining culturability after the temperature up-shift. Subsequently, the persistence of the clinical strain in natural bottom sediment, incubating as above, was studied and results showed a similar decrease in culturable numbers in the sediment as in the water. As the clinical V. cholerae strains did not carry any of the standard set of virulence genes, the ability to change from non-culturable to culturable may be of great importance to strain pathogenicity. The results also show that natural bottom sediment may be a potential reservoir of human pathogenic Vibrio spp.