Comparison of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Cultures Isolated in the United States with Those Isolated in Japan

Biologic, biochemical, and serologic characteristics of 79 halophilic vibrios isolated in the United States were studied and compared with 100 isolates of Vibrio parahaemolyticus obtained from patients with gastroenteritis. Sixty-three of the isolates were identified as V. parahaemolyticus. Eleven of these had combinations of 0 and K antigens that were previously unreported. They were 01:K5, 01:K33, 01:K37, 01:K44, 03:K25, 04:K37, 05:K3, and 07:K39. Whether or not this represents a true geographic variation in the sertotypes of this bacterium is unknown. The remaining 16 isolates studied were not V. parahaemolyticus. Six were Vibrio alginolyticus, and 10 were related marine vibrios.