Investigation of contamination of aquatic animals supplied in Ahvaz to Vibrio species and evaluation of antibiotic resistance of isolates

<p style="text-align: left;">Pathogenic <em>Vibrio</em> species typically inhabit marine and brackish water environments and can be found in seafood, with a higher prevalence in the summer. The present study aimed to investigate the contamination of aquatic animals supplied in Ahvaz with <em>Vibrio</em> species and to evaluate the antibiotic resistance of the isolates. In this study, 160 samples, including 40 shrimp samples and 120 samples of lionfish, halva, and salted fish, were randomly collected from supply centers in Ahvaz and transferred to the laboratory under sterile conditions. To detect <em>Vibrio</em>, the linear culture method, PCR method, and disk-diffusion antibiotic resistance testing were used. The results showed that 46 samples (28.75%) were positive for <em>Vibrio</em> species out of the 160 samples. Specifically, 13 samples (32.5%) were from shrimp, 11 samples (27.5%) from mackerel, 10 samples (25%) from tiger tooth croaker, and 12 samples (30%) from <em>Pampus argenteus</em>. The frequency of virulence genes detected was as follows: <em>ctxA </em>(50%), <em>ctxB </em>(50%), <em>tdh </em>(41.17%), <em>trh </em>(47%), <em>flaC</em> (50%), and <em>vvh </em>(44.44%). The antibiotic resistance testing showed resistance to ampicillin (89.13%) and kanamycin (82.60%), with the lowest resistance to imipenem. The study findings indicate that different seafood products can serve as significant sources of <em>Vibrio</em> contamination, which can be reduced by adhering to proper hygiene practices and ensuring thorough cooking of seafood.