The BioNumerics software used the Dice similarity coefficient to generate

the UPGMA dendrograms presented in this study with Dice parameters: Optimization (Opt): 1.00%, Tolerance (Tol). 0.25% – 0.25% for the reference strains, and Opt: 1.00%, Tol. 0.55% – 0.55% for the 36 V. vulnificus and 36 V. parahaemolyticus strains. Acknowledgements click here This project was supported by an appointment of MH to the Research Fellowship Program for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition administered by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The authors wish to thank Dr. González-Escalona for sharing his V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus strains and for his insights in this study. References 1. Mead PS, Slutsker L, Griffin PM, Tauxe RV: Food-related illness and death in the United States. Emerg Infect SIS3 Dis 1999,5(6):841–842.PubMedCrossRef 2. Thompson FL, Iida T, Swings J: Biodiversity of vibrios. selleck chemical Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2004,68(3):403–431.PubMedCrossRef

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