Rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae contamination of seafood by polymerase chain reaction.

The possibility of detecting Vibrio cholerae contamination of seafood using a technique based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was studied. Direct PCR on lysate prepared from fish homogenates containing 10(3) V. cholerae/ml gave a positive reaction. When combined with alkaline peptone water (APW) enrichment, homogenates containing 1.4 cells/ml gave amplification signal. The technique could also detect V. cholerae O139, the recent epidemic serotype in the Indian subcontinent. An environmental isolate of non-O1 V. cholerae that produced cholera toxin was also positive in this assay. The results suggest that PCR-based techniques have great potential in quick detection of toxigenic V. cholerae in seafoods.