OCCURRENCE OF VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS IN DIFFERENT FINFISH AND SHELLFISH SPECIES

Occurrence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was examined in 293 samples of finfish and Penaeus monodon from wholesale fish markets in Kolkata, India, by standard culture technique. The bacterium was isolated from 45.83% of shellfish and 16.73% of finfish samples. Among finfishes, about 30% of Chela laubuca and Otolithoides biauritus, and 18-21% of Lates calcarifer, Ompok bimaculatus and Herpadon nehereus samples were contaminated. The bacterium was mostly recovered from intestinal contents (32.25%) as compared to skin (11.95%) and gill tissue (16.43%). Seasonal variation in occurrence of the bacterium was also recorded. The occurrence was slightly more in seafishes (21.74%) as compared to estuarine (16.04%) and freshwater fishes (13.83%), and in demersal fish species (19.35%) posing health risk to the consumers.