OCCURRENCE OF CHOLERA AND NONCHOLERA VIBRIO SPECIES IN SHRIMPS IN CALABAR BRACKISH WATER

The Occurrence of Cholera and NonCholera Vibrio species in shrimps harvested from the Calabar brackish water was investigated in this study using standard microbiological techniques. A total of 25 Vibrio strains belonging to 5 genera namely V. parahaemolyticus (40%), V. vulnificus(20%), V. alginolyticus (15%), V. mimicus (15) and V. Cholerae (10%) were actually isolated, characterized and identified with V. Parahaemolyticus being the most dominant. The serological test results indicated that 10% of the isolates were Vibrio Cholerae (O1 Vibrio) species representing Cholera Vibrio, while 90% were NonCholera Vibrio species (non O1 Vibrio). The higher prevalence of NonCholera Vibrio species may reflect favorable growth conditions in the estuarine environment, such as temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability, which support the proliferation of these bacteria. Additionally, the occurrence of Cholera Vibrio species at a lower percentage may be influenced by its specific ecological niches and its reliance on certain environmental factors for survival and proliferation. It is worthy of notes that the coastal waters are over nourished and favours the growth of the Vibrio species that in turn colonize shrimps and other crustaceans. On the basis of our data, we can conclude that shrimps from the Calabar estuarine maintain a reservoir of Vibrio species in our environment, thus posing health risk to consumers of undercooked shrimps. These finding is of epidemiologic and clinical significance.