Zheng Jingying, Shi Ben, Sun Jingyu, Pan Yang, Ding Yukun, Shi Xuening, Zhang Jing, Zhang Huiling, He Jingtong, Zhang Kunlun, Shi Jianyang, Bai Yang, Zhao Wei, Wang Juan
School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
Jilin Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Changchun 130062, Changchun, China.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2025 Jan 30;428:110993. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110993. Epub 2024 Nov 25.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a critical foodborne pathogen causing gastroenteritis worldwide. The occurrence of transmission and outbreaks attributed to V. parahaemolyticus has exhibited a notable upward trend during the past two decades. However, comprehensive information on this pathogen in inland cities in China remains scarce. This study shed light on the molecular characteristics, genetic associations, and significant transmission risks through foodborne and fecal-oral routes of 115 V. parahaemolyticus strains obtained from nine inland cities in Jilin Province. Strains were divided into 90 sequence types (STs), with 41 STs that were novel. The predominant sequence type was ST3 (14.78 %, 17/115). The strains exhibited the highest resistance rates to cefazolin and ampicillin. A total of ninety-four antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) categorized groups based on antibiotic class were identified. The tet(34) (112/115, 97.39 %) and bla (114/115, 99.13 %) genes responsible for tetracycline and β-lactams resistance were present in most isolates. Interestingly, V. parahaemolyticus with the tet(34) gene may not be resistant to tetracycline. Strains with strong biofilm formation ability carry more resistance genes. Atypical virulence genes and virulence genome islands (VPaI) were also identified in the isolated strains. All strains encoded type III secretion system 1 (T3SS1), while 114 isolates encoded type VI secretion system 2 (T6SS2). Notably, T6SS1 was present in 59.55 % of food strains, and pathogenicity genomic islands VPaI-1 to VPaI-5 were found in food-associated isolates. Based on the results of the phylogenetic analysis, clinical strains were closely related within a single cluster, which refers to strains that are more similar to each other than to those outside the group based on specific genetic profiles, while the food isolates were highly diverse. Furthermore, some isolates included in our study indicated potential transmission possibly through sharing of some SNPs between food and clinical-positive V. parahaemolyticus strains from different countries. The study elucidates the genetic characteristics, diversity, and virulence potential of V. parahaemolyticus isolates, thereby enhancing the understanding of the potential risks associated with the cross-border transmission of this pathogen.
副溶血性弧菌是一种重要的食源性病原体，可在全球范围内引起肠胃炎。在过去二十年中，由副溶血性弧菌引起的传播和疫情发生呈显著上升趋势。然而，中国内陆城市关于这种病原体的全面信息仍然匮乏。本研究揭示了从吉林省九个内陆城市获得的115株副溶血性弧菌菌株的分子特征、遗传关联以及通过食源性和粪口途径的重大传播风险。菌株被分为90个序列类型（STs），其中41个STs是新的。主要序列类型是ST3（14.78%，17/115）。这些菌株对头孢唑林和氨苄西林的耐药率最高。共鉴定出94个基于抗生素类别分类的抗生素耐药基因（ARGs）。大多数分离株中存在负责四环素和β-内酰胺耐药的tet(34)（112/115，97.39%）和bla（114/115，99.13%）基因。有趣的是，携带tet(34)基因的副溶血性弧菌可能对四环素不耐药。生物膜形成能力强的菌株携带更多耐药基因。在分离菌株中还鉴定出非典型毒力基因和毒力基因组岛（VPaI）。所有菌株都编码III型分泌系统1（T3SS1），而114株分离株编码VI型分泌系统2（T6SS2）。值得注意的是，59.55%的食品菌株中存在T6SS1，并且在与食品相关的分离株中发现了致病性基因组岛VPaI-1至VPaI-5。基于系统发育分析结果，临床菌株在单个簇内密切相关，这是指基于特定遗传特征，彼此之间比与组外菌株更相似的菌株，而食品分离株高度多样化。此外，我们研究中的一些分离株表明可能通过来自不同国家的食品和临床阳性副溶血性弧菌菌株之间共享一些单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）而存在潜在传播。该研究阐明了副溶血性弧菌分离株的遗传特征、多样性和毒力潜力，从而增进了对这种病原体跨境传播相关潜在风险的理解。
