Distribution of Vibrio vulnificus in the smoked and salted Caspian Sea free-living fishes in Gilan province of Iran

Introduction:Consumption of smoked and salted fishes which are often prepared traditionally is very common in the Caspian region of northern Iran. This commodity is often consumed either raw or in semi-cooked state. Therefore, it is highly probable that the consumed fish be contaminated with sea-borne bacterial pathogens especially those belonging to vibrio species.Material and Methods: In this study, Vibrio vulnificus contamination of smoked and salted fishes which were caught and sold in Gilan fish markets including white fish, soof, and the Kooli varieties was investigated during a six months period. Fish samples were originally cultured in TCBS and APW media. Following initial recovery, their identifications were confirmed by biochemical tests such as ONPG, VP, Simmon Citrate, bile esculin, Indole, and String test. The bacteria were also cultured in specialized media, such as CAV, KB003 Hi25 Tm, and API120E.Results:From a total of 150 bacterial isolates, 21 of them were identified to be Vibrio vulnificus. They were mostly recovered (14%) from the fish intestines samples.Conclusion: The results of this study as well as those reported in other parts of the world indicates that direct contamination of human due to consumption of these fishes which are often prepared in traditional manners in plausible.Therefore, consumption of these sea foods either raw or in semi-cooked form can potentially leads to various gastrointestinal complications

کلیدواژه ها:

Vibrio vulnificus ، Salted fish ، Smoked fish ، Gilan province waters