Challenges in Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Infections Caused by the Pandemic Clone

Abstract

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus infections caused by the pandemic clone have become a global public health issue. The pandemic clone includes over ten sequence types and 49 serotypes. Several markers such as toxRS/new, orf8 and genomic islands were considered specific for pandemic strains, but subsequent studies later confirmed a lack of specificity. Thus, identifying stable indicators for the pandemic clone is still an open question. In recent years, several environmental pandemic strains are growing, constituting a new threat to seafood safety and human health. Traditional methods show limited discrimination in studying the microevolution of pandemic strains. For example, multilocus sequence typing divides many pandemic strains into ST3 type, making it difficult to further distinguish the variability within ST3 strains from different contexts. When using a whole genome sequencing-based technique, strains including those with the same sequence type, could be well separated. Whole genome sequencing-based technology also played important roles in dissecting the evolution process and revealing the mechanism underlying rapid serotype conversion within pandemic strains. In addition, the emergence of multiple-antibiotic resistant pandemic strains needs attention. Altogether, we are facing many challenges posed by pandemic V.parahaemolyticus strains, which need to be resolved in future studies.

Keywords: :

• genotyping
• multiple antibiotic resistance
• pandemic strains
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• whole genome sequencing

Author contributions

D Han, J Li and F Yu conceived the idea. R Zhang and D Han drew the figures. D Han and X Chen wrote the paper. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

We thank American Journal Experts group (https://secure.aje.com) for editing the English text of a draft of this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81703276 and 81803290) and the ‘AIDS and Hepatitis, and Other Major Infectious Disease Control and Prevention’ Program of China (grant number2018ZX10102001). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. Writing assistance was provided by American Journal Experts group.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81703276 and 81803290) and the ‘AIDS and Hepatitis, and Other Major Infectious Disease Control and Prevention’ Program of China (grant number2018ZX10102001). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed