Presence of the Hemolysin Gene of Vibrio mimicus in Fish and Seafood Products in Sonora, Mexico

Vibrio mimicus causes diseases in humans in many countries, and it is highly abundant in aquatic environments. The present study evaluated the presence of V. mimicus in commonly consumed fish and seafood products in Sonora, México. A total of 262 samples of fish and seafood products were analyzed using PCR to identify the presence of the hemolysin (vmh) gene of V. mimicus, which was detected in 32 food samples. The positive food samples included raw (14%) and ready to eat fish and seafood (9%). The leading raw products in which V. mimicus was detected were crustaceans (57%), but mollusks represented 78% of the positive ready-to-eat products (RTE). Therefore, the presence of the V. mimicus hemolysin gene in raw and RTE seafood may represent a potential health risk to consumers in northwest México.