OCCURRENCE OF TOXIGENIC VIBRIO-CHOLERAE O1 IN OYSTERS IN MOBILE BAY, ALABAMA - AN ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba, resembling the epidemic Latin Amer ican strains (C6706, 06707), was recovered from oysters taken from Mob ile Bay, Alabama, on five separate occasions between July 1991 and Sep tember 1992. Levels of toxigenic V. cholerae in the oysters, estimated by the most probable number procedure, ranged from 10(1) to 10(7) per 100 g. Isolates characterized by pulsed field gel electrophoresis res embled isolates previously recovered from five cargo ships docked at G ulf of Mexico ports. This study details the first reported isolation o f toxigenic V. cholerae O1 from oysters in U.S. coastal waters. As wit h the Gulf Coast strain, the occurrence of the epidemic strain seems t o be sporadic and essentially limited to the warmer months.