Analysis of the vcgC gene in Vibrio vulnificus isolates from the Texas Coastal Bend region of the Gulf of Mexico

Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative, halophilic bacterium normally found in temperate marine and estuarine waters. The organism may enter wounds in the skin and cause sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis; the latter condition has a 50-60% mortality rate and may result in death or disfigurement within 4-6 days. Persons exposed to coastal flood waters during hurricanes may be at risk for this organism. The virulence-correlated gene, vcgC, is specific for clinical isolates of V. vulnificus, but the function of this locus remains unknown. This study used Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and novel primers for vcgC not previously described to specifically identify V. vulnificus isolates from the Texas Coastal Bend region that may result in serious infections. Of the 28 isolates, four isolates could not be revived multiple times; crude lysates of the remaining 24 Vibrio vulnificus cultures were analyzed by PCR, and 19 were found to have amplicons of 428bp for vcgC. This study confirms the presence of the vcgC gene in V. vulnificus isolates from the Texas Coastal Bend region of the Gulf of Mexico.