CHROMagar™ Vibrio (Powder Pack, 500 g)

For Isolation and Detection of Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus, and V. parahaemolyticus

CHROMagar™ Vibrio (Reference: VB91-500G) is a dehydrated chromogenic culture medium powder, developed for the direct detection, differentiation, and isolation of major pathogenic Vibrio species from food, clinical, and environmental samples. It enables clear species-level differentiation using distinct colony colors, making it an advanced alternative to traditional media such as TCBS agar.

This 500 g powder format is ideal for laboratories that prefer to prepare media in-house for cost efficiency, flexibility, or batch customization.

Colony Appearance

Performance

The genus Vibrio includes over 20 species, four of which pose major public health and aquaculture risks:

• V. cholerae – Causative agent of cholera, transmitted via contaminated water and food. Associated with severe diarrhea, dehydration, and epidemics.
• V. parahaemolyticus – Causes seafood-related gastroenteritis and wound infections.
• V. vulnificus – Highly virulent, responsible for 94% of reported deaths from Vibrio infections in the U.S. (CDC).
• V. alginolyticus – Important for aquaculture, particularly oyster farming, due to its role in production losses.

CHROMagar™ Vibrio outperforms conventional media (e.g., TCBS agar) by:

• Enabling visual species-level differentiation, even for sucrose-negative strains.
• Suppressing interference from V. alginolyticus, which remains colorless.
• Improving recovery rates and reducing false negatives, even after enrichment.

Intended Use

CHROMagar™ Vibrio is intended for the qualitative detection and presumptive identification of pathogenic Vibrio species from:

• Food samples: seafood, shellfish, fish, shrimp
• Clinical samples: stool, wound swabs
• Aquaculture environments: water and sediment
• Environmental and surface monitoring

Not intended to diagnose infection or guide treatment. Suspect colonies should be confirmed using biochemical or molecular methods (e.g., MALDI-TOF, PCR).

Advantages

1. Clear Color Differentiation
   Vibrio species appear in distinct colors, reducing misidentification and improving readability over traditional TCBS agar.
2. Highly Selective and Specific
   Avoids confusion with sucrose-negative strains and eliminates background flora interference.
3. Efficient Recovery
   Delivers better results than TCBS, with fewer false negatives and enhanced detection from enriched samples.
4. Practical Powder Format
   The 500 g powder pack allows labs to prepare flexible batch sizes as needed—ideal for high-throughput or research settings.
5. Regulatory and Quality Compliance
   Suited for use in food safety programs, aquaculture monitoring, and surveillance studies worldwide.

Test Procedure

1. Sample Preparation: Enrich in alkaline peptone water (optional)
2. Inoculation: Direct streaking or membrane filtration
3. Incubation:
   • Temperature: 35–37 °C
   • Time: 18–24 hours
   • Atmosphere: Aerobic
4. Interpretation:
   • Mauve = V. parahaemolyticus
   • Green-blue to turquoise = V. vulnificus, V. cholerae
   • Creamy = V. alginolyticus

Ordering Information

Storage & Shelf Life

• Storage: 2–8 °C in a dry environment
• Shelf Life: Up to 24 months when stored sealed and protected from moisture and light
• Prepared Media: Use within validated shelf-life based on manufacturer's instructions

Scientific Publications

• Palamae et al., 2022 – Molecular characterization of V. parahaemolyticus from seafood
• Hammood & Ibrahim, 2022 – Vibrio species in fish gut from the Tigris River
• Tran Thi Hong To et al., 2020 – V. parahaemolyticus prevalence in Vietnamese aquaculture systems

CHROMagar™ Vibrio (VB91-500G) offers a reliable, easy-to-prepare solution for the isolation and identification of key Vibrio pathogens. With its high specificity, clear color-based differentiation, and superior performance over traditional media, it is an essential tool for food safety, aquaculture surveillance, and environmental monitoring laboratories.