Temperature Effects on the Depuration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus from the American Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

This study investigated temperature effects on depuration for reducing Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in American oyster ( Crassostrea virginica). Raw oysters were inoculated with 5-strain cocktail of V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus to levels of 10(4) to 10(5) MPN ( most probable number)/g and depurated in artificial seawater (ASW) at 22, 15, 10, and 5 degrees C. Depuration of oysters at 22 degrees C had limited effects on reducing V. parahaemolyticus or V. vulnificus in the oysters. Populations of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus were reduced by 1.2 and 2.0 log MPN/g, respectively, after 48 h of depuration at 22 degrees C. Decreasing water temperature to 15 degrees C increased the efficacy of depuration in reducing V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in oysters. Reductions of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in oysters increased to 2.1 and 2.9 log MPN/g, respectively, after 48 h of depuration at 15 degrees C. However, depurations at 10 and 5 degrees C were less effective than at 15 degrees C in reducing the Vibrio spp. in oysters. Extended depuration at 15 degrees C for 96 h increased reductions of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in oysters to 2.6 and 3.3 log MPN/g, respectively.