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Molecular detection of E. coli and Vibrio cholerae in ballast water of commercial ships: a primary study along the Persian Gulf

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Abstract

Purpose

Ballast water is one of the most important ways for the transfer of aquatic organisms such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vibrio cholerae. The aim of this study was to investigate Mdh gene of E. coli and the OmpW gene of Vibrio cholerae bacteria by PCR technique in the ballast water of commercial ships entering Bushehr port along the Persian Gulf.

Methods

In this study, 34 samples of ballast water entered Bushehr port were studied by using culture and PCR methods to determine Mdh gene of E. coli and OmpW gene of Vibrio cholerae. Genomic DNA of bacterial strains was extracted and PCR was performed by using specific primers of E. coli and Vibrio cholerae.

Results

The specific Mdh gene of E. coli was detected in 4 ballast water samples and the positive samples were analyzed by antisera methods for E. coli O157:H7. Results of antisera showed that there were 3 positive samples of O157:H7 serotype. The results of the PCR technique showed that the OmpW gene of Vibrio cholerae was negative for all positive culture samples.

Conclusions

Further studies are highly recommended to monitor other aquatic organisms in ballast water to protect the marine environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Bushehr University of Medical Sciences for their financial support (Grant no. 4101) and the laboratory staff of the Environmental Health Engineering Department for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Boostan 19 Alley, Imam Khomeini Street, Bushehr, Iran

    Farshid Soleimani & Sina Dobaradaran

  2. The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Reza Taherkhani

  3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Sina Dobaradaran

  4. Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, Germany

    Sina Dobaradaran

  5. Akademie für menschliche Medizin GmbH, Krauskopfallee 27, 65388, Schlangenbad, Germany

    Jörg Spitz

  6. Workplace Health Promotion Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Saeedi

  7. Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Saeedi

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  1. Farshid Soleimani
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Correspondence to Sina Dobaradaran.

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Soleimani, F., Taherkhani, R., Dobaradaran, S. et al. Molecular detection of E. coli and Vibrio cholerae in ballast water of commercial ships: a primary study along the Persian Gulf. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 19, 457–463 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-021-00618-9

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