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COMMONWEALTH SERUM LABORATORIES File’ Now...

 

INTERNAL COAMSAUNICATION

Dr. Gulasekharam
Dr... McCarthy.

Letter. from Prof...Nossal..re. halophilic..orgqanisms..(Baneckea..group) cveeneee
from Coral

A halophilic gram-negative non-sporing marine organism
Vibrio parahaemolyticus and closely related species have been recognized ~
as an important cause of gastro-enteritis associated with the consumption
ef sea-foods in summer. Soft tissue or svstemic infections have been
occasionally reported. Though these organisms were originally thought
to be limited to Japan, they have since been isolated from fish, shell
fish and coastal sea waters in other countries. | The pathogenicity of
Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been attributed to a haemolytic toxin
containing phospholipase A and lysolecithinase enzymes.

In 1968-69, a halophilic marine Vibrio species was
implicated in an outbreak of gastro~enteritis on a tropical island
tourist resort off the north-eastern coast of Australia, the organism -
being isolated from patients (stools) and from samples of bore and sea
water, These isolations were done at the Laboratory of Microbiology
and Pathology, State Health Department, Brisbane, and strains should be
available from that laboratory. The Sydney School of Public Health
and Tropical Medicine were also carrying out a survey of these organisms.
They may be able to supply cultures. Other possible scurces of :
information would be (a) Prof. Burdon-Jones, Professor of Marine Biology, .
James Cock University of North Queensland and (b) Prof. R. Morita,
Oregon State University. L- 3

I have not seen any report of the isolation of these
organisms from coral. Their presence on coral is of course a
possibility in view of their presence in sea water. Although of
considerable general interest, there has been no research project at
C.S.L. on these organisms nor, as far as I know, is there likely to be’.
one in the immediate future, under the present conditions.

to

J GULASEKHASAM >

24th Januery, 1975