<i>Vibrio Cholerae</i> O1 Detection in Estuarine and Coastal Zooplankton

TitleVibrio Cholerae O1 Detection in Estuarine and Coastal Zooplankton
Publication TypeJournal Articles
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsMartinelli Filho JE, Lopes RM, Rivera ING, Colwell RR
JournalJournal of Plankton Research
Volume33
Issue1
Pagination51 - 62
Date Published01/2011
ISBN Number0142-7873, 1464-3774
KeywordsDFA, estuary, plankton, Southwest Atlantic
Abstract

Vibrio cholerae is an autochthonous marine bacterium, and its association with diverse planktonic crustaceans has been extensively investigated; however, the presence of V. cholerae on individuals of most phyla of planktonic animals is still incompletely understood. The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of V. cholerae serogroup O1 associated with specific zooplankton taxa in an estuary and the adjacent continental shelf of the southeastern Brazilian coast. The occurrence of the bacterium was assessed in zooplankton samples, specifically on the most abundant taxa, using direct fluorescence assay (DFA) and direct viable count–direct fluorescence assay (DVC–DFA) methods. Vibrio cholerae O1 was detected in 88% of samples collected from the Santos-Bertioga estuary and in 67% of samples from the shelf. The salinity of the estuarine water ranged from 21.8 to 34.6, significantly lower than the shelf water which was 32.1–36.1. Salinity was the only environmental variable measured that displayed a significant correlation with the presence of V. cholerae (P< 0.05). Vibrio cholerae O1 was detected in chaetognaths, pluteus larvae of echinoderms and planktonic fish eggs (Engraulidae), all new sites for this bacterium.

URLhttp://plankt.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/1/51
DOI10.1093/plankt/fbq093