Year: 2015
Project(s):
Relevance
Despite Vibrio parahaemolyticus management plans and industry efforts, illness rates continue to go up indicating that industry and regulators have been unable to manage the problem. Rapid and easy-to-use tests kits for enumeration of total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in oysters will provide investigators a rapid and cost-effective tool to evaluate not only the practice of re-submersion following anti-biofouling, but also other aquaculture practices that state and federal regulators may find likely to increase the risk of vibrio illness.
Response
The team of Mississippi State University and FDA has developed a simple, rapid and low cost Vp assay kits to currently accepted methods that will expand industry capacity to develop new PHP approaches, such as high-salinity relaying or depuration.
Results
These tests provide a simple, rapid (18 hour) result for total and potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels in oysters. Initial testing demonstrated 100 percent specificity against 48 V. parahaemolyticus and 26 non-Vp and sensitivity of less than 10 cells/test. Using the 96-well plate format, comparability testing demonstrated excellent reliability of these test kits, with 183 naturally-incurred oyster samples from the Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts tested and good agreement (P < 0.05) was observed between the test kit for total V. parahaemolyticus and Most Probable Number real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Recap
Scientists create a rapid, easy-to-use and cost-effective Vp assay kit to detect V. parahaemolyticus in oyster samples. (2015)