Occurrence of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae in bivavlve molluscs from Northwest Spain

Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae has been recognized as pathogen for poikilotherm and homeotherm organims. In this study we describe for the first time the isolation of this microorganism from Mytilus galloprovincialis in harvesting areas situated in the northwestern coast of Spain. The identity of the isolates as Ph. damselae subsp. damselae was confirmed by biochemical tests and multiplex PCR technique. Interestingly, the absence of gas production from glucose in the bivalve mollusc strains indicated that the importance of this biochemical trait for the presumptive identification of this microorganism need to be reevaluated.