Microbiological Safety and Quality of Processed Shrimps and Fishes - Aquaculture Microbiology and Biotechnology - page 101

5
Molecular Detection of Seafood-
Borne Human Pathogenic Bacteria
Robert E. Levin
INTRODUCTION
Human bacterial infections and intoxication of seafood origin are usually
derived from the consumption of raw or undercooked fi sh or shellfi sh
harboring infectious organisms of mammalian intestinal origin (sewage
outfalls) or from infectious organisms native to estuarine environments.
Although conventional bacteriological methodology is still widely used
to detect and enumerate these seafood pathogens molecular techniques
involving the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are now available allowing
for rapid detection with notably high levels of sensitivity.
This chapter deals exclusively with human infectious and toxic
producing bacteria that are native to marine environments and which are
found to be associated with seafood and the conventional and molecular
techniques available for their detection and enumeration. There are four
such principle organisms that fall into this category:
￿ Vibrio vulnifi cus,
￿ Vibrio parahaemolyticus,
￿ Vibrio cholerae , and
￿ Clostridium botulinum type E.
Department of Food Science, Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003; Fax: [phone]; Tel.: [phone];
E-mail: [e-mail]