Application of multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for simultaneous quantification of virulence genes in oysters.

Strains of diarrheagenic (DEC) are involved in foodborne disease outbreaks worldwide, especially the enterohemorrhagic O157:H7. This study describes two multiplex quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) assays for simultaneous identification and quantification of genes related to virulence of DEC; a triplex reaction for detection and quantification of , , and genes, and a duplex reaction for detection and quantification of and genes. The technique was applied in raw oyster samples for direct quantification of DEC, thereby evaluating the applicability of this methodology for microbiological quality assessment of food.

Microbiological Quality and Prevalence of β-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Oysters ( Crassostrea rhizophorae ).

The microbiological quality of oysters reflects the microbiological quality of their habitats because they are filter feeders. The objective of this study was to assess the bacterial composition of the edible oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae in urban and preserved estuaries. Particularly, we assessed the presence of pathogenic bacteria, investigated antibiotic susceptibility in bacterial isolates, and quantified β-lactam antibiotic resistance genes (bla, bla, and bla) via quantitative PCR of oyster DNA.

First record of Perkinsus chesapeaki infecting Crassostrea rhizophorae in South America.

This study investigated Perkinsus spp. infecting Crassostrea rhizophorae from the Jaguaribe River estuary, Ceará, Brazil. Fragments of gills and rectum of the oysters (n=150) were incubated in Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium (RFTM).

Parasites in the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae cultivated in the estuary of the Graciosa River in Taperoá, Bahia.

In this work, parasites associated with the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae were studied at a cultivation unit in the estuary of the Graciosa River in Taperoá, Bahia. On a monthly basis, between April 2011 and March 2012, 20 oysters were collected, measured and fixed in 10% formaldehyde. In order to identify the parasites, routine histological techniques were used.

Health assessment of the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae on the southern coast of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

This study investigated the health of natural stocks of the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae on the southern coast of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, during summer and winter 2010, at three localities (sampling points) in the estuaries of the Maraú (Camamu Bay) and Graciosa rivers. A total of 180 oysters (30/sampling point/season) were examined macroscopically for the presence of pathogens and anatomical changes. The specimens were subsequently fixed in Davidson solution, processed for paraffin embedding, sectioned and stained with Harris' hematoxylin and eosin.

Parasites of economically important bivalves from the southern coast of Bahia State, Brazil.

This study investigated the parasites of three commercially important bivalve species (Crassostrea rhizophorae, Mytella guyanensis and Lucina pectinata) from the southern coast of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 540 specimens were collected in August 2009 and February 2010, at three localities. The bivalve specimens were measured on their longest axis, opened, and macroscopically examined for the presence of parasites or signs of disease.

[Reproductive cycle of the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae (Bivalvia: Ostreidae) in Camamu Bay, Bahia, Brasil].

The mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae is important fishery resource along the entire Brasilian coast with excellent potential for marine culture. The purpose of this paper was to examine the reproductive characteristics of the oyster of the Maraú river estuary in Camamu Bay, Bahia, Brasil. The samples were collected monthly, from September 2006 to August 2007, at two points (I and II) in Camamu Bay.

Parasites of three commercially exploited bivalve mollusc species of the estuarine region of the Cachoeira river (Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil).

This paper reports the parasites found in three commercially exploited bivalve molluscs (Mytella guyanensis, Anomalocardia brasiliana and Iphigenia brasiliana) of an estuarine region of Ilhéus, south of Bahia, Brazil (14 degrees 48'23''S; 39 degrees 02'47''W). Samples of 20 individuals of each species were collected fortnightly from August 2005 to August 2006. A total of 1480 individuals was collected and processed by standard histologic techniques; the histologic sections were stained with Harris haematoxylin and eosin and examined with light microscope.