Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram-negative bacterium that inhabits sea enviromnents. lt is pathogenic for human and the illness is associated with the ingestion of seafood, especially raw oysters. Approximately 60% of the cases are fatal, mainly in immunocompromised patients. The present research was carried out in order to study the presence of V. vulnificus in some seafood samples. The oysters, clams and shrimp samples were collected during April-August 1993, May-September 1994 and February 1995. 36% (65%) out of 55 oysters samples were positive for V. vulnificus; 8 (42.1%) out of 19 clams samples were positive, and 1 (14.3%) out of 7 shrimp samples harboured this bacterium. The presence of Vibrio vulnificus in these samples shows that they are potentially dangerous for human being, especially for those raw seafood consumers and at the risk group.
Vibrio vulnificus; oysters; seafood
