Epidemiological Linkages of Diarrheagenic Vibrio Species from Sea water, Seafood and Patients and their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Abstract Background Vibrio species are reported to cause diarrhea in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The typical species of Vibrio have an association with seawater, seafood and patient stool which have been rarely studied in Zanzibar. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from October, 2019 to February, 2020. Randomly samples were collected to investigate Vibrio species from seawater, seafood to human and vice versa. The samples were cultured using Thiosulphate - citrate - bile salts-sucrose agar and AMS was done by Kirby – Bauer disc diffusion method. Results A total of 303 sample participated in the study (60) 60.0% V. cholerae were identified from seawater, (57) 57.0% from seafood and (20)19.4% from stool. Similarly, 22.0% of V. parahaemolyticus were identified from seawater, 21.0% from seafood and 14.5% from stool. About 12.0% of V. vulnificus were identified from seawater,10.0% from seafood and 4.8% from stool while 6.0% of similar V. alginolyticus from seawater, 5.0% from seafood and 2.9% from stool. All Vibrio spp presented sufficient susceptibility to Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin and Doxycycline with a varying pattern to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Conclusion Vibrio cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus isolates are common causative agents of diarrhea in Zanzibar with reservoir in seawater and seafood. Both species presents sufficient susceptibility response to chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline.