Microbiological Study on the Flora of Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Cultured in Tortolì Lagoon, South-East Sardinia, Italy

A microbiological survey of cultured mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis collected from mussel long-lines at a site in the Tortoli Lagoon was carried out over a one-year period. The mussels were "healthy" at the time of sampling. The morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics of dominant bacteria isolated from mussels were determined. As a result, 87.6 % of the isolates from mussels were Gram-negative bacteria and 12.4%, Gram-positive bacteria. The major aerobic bacteria found in the flora of mussels were belonging to Vibrio/Aeromonas, Actinobacillus/Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Bacillus Groups. Finally, a few E. coli and the absence of pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and V. parahaemolyticus proves the low degree of fecal contamination of the area. However, a deeper study on the classification of Vibrio will be necessary.