Vibrio vulnificus serovars: a vailability for rapid identification method of vibrio vulnificus and prognostic value

Koh, Myoung Ok; Park, Seok Don

Abstract

Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic gram-negative, marine bacterium which causes fulminating and potentially fatal human disease. A new sensitive and specific serogrouping procedure was developed for identifying V. vulnificus. Reference antis:ra(01-014) to V. vulnificus were prepared by vaccinated rabbits with heat-killed bacteria, and the antisera were examined whether erogrouping test will be available for rapid and sensitive identification method of V. vulnifiius or not. All of thirty-seven clinical strains tested were agglutinated with 5 kinds of aritisera such as 04A, 01, 013, 03, and 014. Of these serovar 04A was predominant(75.7%). The author investigated the correlation among certain serovars, consumed seafoods, and nortality rate to verify whether the serovar is of pognostic value. There was no significant orrelation among them. These results suggest theart serogrouping procedure could be of value in rapidly identifying V. vulnificus.