Clonal relationship among Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and grooved carpet shells (Ruditapes decussatus) harvested in Sardinia (Italy)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic variability of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from naturally contaminated Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and Grooved carpet shells (Ruditapes decussatus) from three harvesting areas of Sardinia (Italy) using a combination of different typing methods: traditional phenotypic systems and molecular techniques. Ninety-nine putative V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from shellfish collected before and after purification were included in the study. Seventy-two isolates were confirmed as V. parahaemolyticus and were submitted to REP, ERIC and BOX PCRs. The combined dendrogram showed the similarity of the data set of the three typing methods and demonstrates how the different techniques grouped the strains in two clusters in accordance with each singular dendrogram. Several strains rendered a unique pattern regardless of the typing method, which indicates the high discriminatory power of the methods. Moreover, the use of multiple typing methods allowed a more accurate characterization of the genetic profiles of isolates and the identification of clones hardly revealed through the common techniques. The intraspecific typing of environmental V. parahaemolyticus can be of great interest in order to recognize clonal relationships between environmental contamination, foodborne disease, and geographical/temporal distribution of this pathogen. The comparative analysis focusing on the obtained genetic profiles supports the possibility for typing methods to discriminate strains with similar phenotypic profile, identifying the level of genetic correlation among the strains and the presence of genetic clones.