Vibrio parahaemolyticus: an Australian perspective

Abstract

A recent outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus following consumption of South Australian oysters has brought to the forefront an increasing hazard for the Australian oyster industry and consumers. Vibrio pathogens have been sparsely implicated in illnesses in Australia; however, rising sea temperatures and varied weather conditions delivered by climate change could be driving the increased prevalence of these pathogens in our oyster growing regions. This is a brief overview of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the risk it presents to our industry and consumers, and an insight into the limitations involved with detection and identification of the pathogen in foods.

Keywords

• Australia
• foodborne diseases
• food safety
• microbiology
• oysters
• qPCR