Faecal contamination of echinoderms: first report of heavy Escherichia coli loading of sea urchins from a natural growing area

Although little evidence existed to support that view, European countries and in particular France, have regarded echinoderms, including sea urchins, as low risk in terms of feacal contamination. It is hypothesized that the sea urchins mode of feeding, which is based on grazing and differs from biva...

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Published in:	Letters in applied microbiology Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 105 - 110
Main Authors:	Bouchoucha, M, Piquet, J.C, Chavanon, F, Dufresne, C, Le Guyader, F.S
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Published for the Society for Applied Bacteriology by Blackwell Scientific Publications [c1985-] 01-02-2016 Oxford University Press
Subjects:	Animals Bivalvia Bivalvia - microbiology E. coli Echinoidea Escherichia coli Escherichia coli - isolation & purification fecal contamination Feces - microbiology France grazing indicator species Life Sciences Marine monitoring mussel mussels Paracentrotus lividus Rain risk Sea urchin Sea Urchins - microbiology shellfish Shellfish - microbiology shellfish monitoring program Water Pollution - analysis France ANE, France MED MED, France mussel shellfish monitoring program Sea urchin E. coli fecal contamination
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Summary:	Although little evidence existed to support that view, European countries and in particular France, have regarded echinoderms, including sea urchins, as low risk in terms of feacal contamination. It is hypothesized that the sea urchins mode of feeding, which is based on grazing and differs from bivalve molluscs, would prevent it from concentrating high levels of Escherichia coli. Here, we monitored E. coli levels in sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus) and in filter‐feeder mussels (Mytillus galloprovincialis), collected concurrently from the same natural area over a 1‐year period to verify this assumption. Sea urchins were collected on the seafloor, whereas mussels were collected from the water column at a depth of 4 m. Our results showed heavy bacterial loading of sea urchins in a natural growing environment. Moreover, we highlighted that E. coli contamination of sea urchins could, in certain conditions, be higher than those detected in filter‐feeding mussels collected at the same location. Finally, the results showed a significant correlation between rainfall and E. coli concentrations in sea urchins, suggesting that the bacterial safety of sea urchin could be linked to the quality of the surrounding water. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The European regulation requires competent authorities to monitor the sanitary status of shellfish, including live echinoderms, through faecal indicator organisms. In the French Mediterranean, sea urchin production is significant. Until now, as no data showed significant E. coli contamination levels, no monitoring programs focused on this species. This study demonstrates that sea urchins are more vulnerable to faecal contamination than previously hypothesized, especially during heavy rainfall. In consequence, the European authority general approach to microbiological management of shellfish should be applied to sea urchins.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lam.12524 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0266-8254 1472-765X
DOI:	10.1111/lam.12524