Occurrence of Vibrio spp. in Selected Recreational Water Bodies in Belgium during 2021 Bathing Season.

In recent years, a global increase in the number of reports of human vibriosis involving non-O1/O139 (NOVC) and other spp. has been observed. In this context, the Belgian National Reference Center for conducted an assessment of the presence of spp. in recreational waters. Water sampling was performed monthly in different lakes in Wallonia and Flanders, including the North Sea. The collected water was then filtrated and cultured, and spp. was quantified according to the Most Probable Number (MPN). Presumptive colonies were confirmed via MALDI-TOF, and PCR for virulence genes was applied if justified. No spp. was found in the analyzed water bodies in Wallonia. However, NOVC was isolated from three different lakes in Flanders and from coastal water. In addition, and were also detected in coastal water. No clear impact of the pH and temperature was observed on spp. occurrence. Our study demonstrates the presence of spp. in different bathing water bodies, mostly in the north of Belgium, and supports the recommendation to include spp. as a water quality indicator for bathing water quality assessment to ensure the safety of water recreational users in Belgium.