Pathogenic and non pathogenic Vibrio species in aquaculture shrimp ponds

Most shrimp farmers try to control Vibrio population in their ponds regardless of their pathogenicity to human or shrimp health. This study focuses on the biochemical diversity of Vibrio species found in a typical semi-intensive shrimp pond in the Mexican Northwest and it correlates environmental conditions to pathogenic Vibrio species detected in pond water. Bacterial diversity changed with time, depending on water temperature. Such changes could be associated to dissolved oxygen, temperature and the pond itself. Growth conditions for pathogenic highly salt-tolerant Vibrio species, are particularly favorable during the harvest period. Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU) associated to Vibrio parahaemolyticus or V. harveyi increased their population from 3 to 460 MPN ml -1at harvest time, while V. cholerae similar OTUs were only detected at initial stages of the production cycle at extremely low levels.