Isolation and Genomic Characterization of phiVibrioH1 a Myoviridae Phage for Controlling Pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Seafood and Human

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig City, Egypt

2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a zoonotic pathogen causing vibriosis in marine fish and associated with food poisoning outbreaks in humans. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteriophage against multidrug resistant (MDR) Vibrio parahaemolyticus from seafood and humans, and also to assess the lytic efficacy of phage on growth. Vibrio Parahaemolyticus was isolated from flesh of 80 white shrimp, 70 blue crabs and 50 mullets, and from 50 hand swabs of humans (fish handlers) on Thiosulphate Citrate bile salts sucrose agar media. The suspected colonies were biochemically identified. Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus carrying thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh+) gene was molecularly detected . The pathogenic tdh+V. parahaemolyticus (n=25) isolates were explored for antimicrobial vulnerability resistant to 12 antimicrobials employing the disc diffusion method. Fifteen isolates of tdh+V. parahaemolyticus were 100% resistant to five antimicrobials. Bacteriophage was isolated from sewage water using spot test and double over layer agar assay. The phiVibrioH1 was belonged to family Myoviridae according to transmission electron microscopy. This study revealed a polyvalent phage infecting wide host range of MDR V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. fluvialis, V. alginolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli O26 and Proteus vulgaris. The genome of phage was sensitive to digestion with BamH1 and ECoR1 restriction enzymes indicating double stranded DNA. From 24 to 42 hours post-treatment of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus with the PhiVibrioH1 phage showed complete lysis of bacterial cells. This study confirmed that the phiVibrioH1 is a lytic phage and has a high potential to control pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus strains recovered from seafood and humans.

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