Evolution of virulence traits from adaptation to environmental niches other than the host is probably a common feature of marine microbial pathogens, whose knowledge might be crucial to understand their emergence and pathogenetic potential. Here, we report genome sequence analysis of a novel marine bacterial species, Vibrio bathopelagicus sp. nov.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe significance of large tropical lakes as environmental reservoirs of Vibrio cholerae in cholera endemic countries has yet to be established. By combining large scale plankton sampling, microbial culture and ultrasensitive molecular methods, namely Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) and targeted genomics, the presence of Vibrio cholerae was investigated in a 96,600 L volume of surface water collected on a 322 nautical mile (596 km) transect in Lake Tanganyika. V.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBivalves are widespread in coastal environments subjected to a wide range of environmental fluctuations: however, the rapidly occurring changes due to several anthropogenic factors can represent a significant threat to bivalve immunity. The mussel spp. has extremely powerful immune defenses toward different potential pathogens and contaminant stressors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfectious agents such as the bacteria Vibrio aestuarianus or Ostreid herpesvirus 1 have been repeatedly associated with dramatic disease outbreaks of Crassostrea gigas beds in Europe. Beside roles played by these pathogens, microbial infections in C. gigas may derive from the contribution of a larger number of microorganisms than previously thought, according to an emerging view supporting the polymicrobial nature of bivalve diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVibrio coralliilyticus has emerged as a coral pathogen of concern throughout the Indo-Pacific reef. The interest towards understanding its ecology and pathogenic potential has increased since V. coralliilyticus was shown to be strongly virulent also for other species; in particular, it represents a serious threat for bivalve aquaculture, being one of the most important emerging pathogen responsible for oyster larval mortalities worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibiotic resistance is a rising threat for human health. Although in clinical settings and terrestrial environments the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria is well documented, their dissemination and spread in the marine environment, covering almost two-thirds of the Earth's surface, is still poorly understood. In this study, the presence and abundance of sulphonamide resistance gene (sul2) and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1), used as markers for the occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes since the beginning of the antibiotic era, were investigated.
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