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INVESTIGATOR: Parveen, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
11868 College Backborne Road
Princess Anne, MARYLAND 21853

SHEWANELLA SPECIES AS POTENTIAL EMERGING PATHOGENS IN OYSTERS AND SEAWATER FROM APALACHICOLA, CHESAPEAKE AND MARYLAND COASTAL BAYS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Shewanella species are important flesh-eating bacteria which have been transmitted through contaminated seawater and seafood. Shewanella may emerge as significant pathogens toward immunocompromised individuals who consume raw or lightly cooked oysters or through exposure of cuts in the skin in contaminated marine environments. Recently, cases of Shewanella infections were reported around the Chesapeake Bay (CB). Adequate information is not available on the levels of pathogenic Shewanella species in oysters and seawater from the Apalachicola Bay (AB), CB and the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs). The overall goal of this project is to address this data gap through the following objectives: 1) to investigate the prevalence of potentially pathogenic Shewanella species in AB, CB and MCBs; 2) to study the effect of environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, pH, and chlorophyll a on the prevalence of Shewanella in oysters and seawater; 3) to characterize Shewanella recovered from oyster and seawater using phenotypic (antimicrobial susceptibility testing) and genotypic (Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis) methods; 4) to share the research findings with the public, seafood industry and regulatory agencies; and 5) to increase capacity and enhance student educational and leadership opportunities. The proposed research will provide, for the first time, a simple, rapid and reliable tool for monitoring Shewanella concentrations in shellfish that can be employed by commercial growers, state resource managers, and educational institutions. The unique combination of multi-institutional research and outreach activities will enhance the research capacity of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Florida A & M University (FAMU) in environmental, food and agricultural sciences.

OBJECTIVES: The overall goal of this project is to investigate the prevalence of potentially pathogenic Shewanella spp. in oysters and seawater samples collected from the Apalachicola Bay (AB), Florida, the Chesapeake Bay (CB) and the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs), Maryland to enhance seafood safety and water quality research, outreach, and extension at two HBCUs. The specific objectives are:1) To investigate the prevalence of potentially pathogenic Shewanella species in AB, CB and MCBs; 2) To study the effect of environmental factors such as temperature, salinity, pH, and chlorophyll a on the prevalence of Shewanella in oysters and seawater; 3) To characterize Shewanella recovered from oyster and seawater using phenotypic (antimicrobial susceptibility testing) and genotypic (Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis) methods; 4) To share the research findings with the public, seafood industry and regulatory agencies; and 5) To increase capacity and enhance student educational and leadership opportunities.