Vibrio cholerae O1 found attached to the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans in Argentine shelf waters

• Autores: Akselman, Rut; Jurquiza, Verónica; Costagliola, Marcela C.; González Fraga, Soledad; Pichel, Mariana; Hozbor, C.; Peressutti, S.; Binsztein, Norma
• Año de publicación: 2010
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Marine Biodiversity Records 2010; 3: e120.
• Materia: Vibrio cholerae; Cólera; Plancton
• Institución: Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán"

Fil: Akselman, Rut. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP); Argentina.
Fil: Jurquiza, Verónica. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP); Argentina.
Fil: Costagliola, Marcela C. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP); Argentina.
Fil: Pichel, Mariana. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Bacteriología; Argentina.
Fil: Hozbor, C. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP); Argentina.
Fil: Peressutti, S. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP); Argentina.
Fil: Binsztein, Norma. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Departamento de Bacteriología; Argentina.
The ecology of Vibrio cholerae Pacini continues to receive scientific attention because cholera remains a global health problem (e.g. Colwell, 1996; Cottingham et al., 2003). Cholera re-emerged in 1991 in South America and has caused seven outbreaks in Argentina, all of which were produced by an O1 El Tor strain (Pichel et al., 2003). In previous studies, we have focused attention on the viable but nonculturable (VNC) forms of V. cholerae and its association with plankton organisms (Binsztein et al., 2004), taking into account the ecological significance of the VNC state as a means of survival during inter-epidemic periods (Colwell & Huq, 1994). Binsztein et al. (2004) reported the presence of VNC V. cholerae O1 in marine zooplankton and microplankton samples from the Argentine shelf of the Atlantic Ocean. These authors reported that while various copepods (Corycaeus amazonicus Dahl, Centropages furcatus Dana and tenocalanus vanus Giesbrecht) were shown to be associated with VNC V. cholerae O1, the bacterium could not be found attached to any phyto- nor protozooplankton species. Consequently, the aim of this study was to analyse phytoand protozooplankton species which could potentially act as reservoirs of VNC V. cholerae in marine waters, focusing only on the microplanktonic fraction.