A study was carried out on the occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in forty samples of mussels (Perna perna, Linnaeus, 1758) from a natural bed at Pinheira Beach, Municipality of Palhoça, Santa Catarina (Brazil), during a three-month period. The most probable number technique was used for isolation methodology with prior enrichment of samples in alkaline peptone water and subsequent planting on thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose agar. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was found in 52.5% of samples of mussels with a most probable number range of < 3 to 93 organisms/g. Serotyping was performed on 61 isolates and our findings indicate that 36.1% of these isolates were serologically non-typable; 54.1% of isolates displayed only flagellate antigenic structures and 8.2% had both antigenic structures. None of the isolates were Kanagawa positive.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Mussels; Perna perna; Environmental Health
