Aims: To determine the presence of Vibrio cholerae in different areas of Argentina in three sample types, to determine the composition of planktonic communities in areas at which this pathogen was detected and to characterize the virulence properties and antimicrobial resistance of the recovered environmental isolates. Methods and Results: Water and plankton samples were collected in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. Vibrio cholerae non-O1, non-O139 was isolated in 36Æ1% of the samples analysed. The micro-organism was detected in freshwater but not in marine or brackish samples. No relationship was found between isolation of V. cholerae and presence of any species of plankton. All the isolates presented very similar virulence profiles by PCR, lacking ctxA and tcpA El Tor and containing hlyA (98Æ7%), rtxA (99Æ0%), toxR (98Æ7%) and stnsto (1Æ9%). Resistance to ampicillin was found in both Tucuma´n (21%) and Buenos Aires isolates (45%). Conclusions: We identified two geographic areas in Argentina where V. cholerae was present: freshwaters of the rivers from Tucuma´n and the Rı´o de la Plata. Significance and Impact of the Study: The identification of V. cholerae strains in the environment, carrying both virulence factors and resistance to antimicrobial agents, highlight the need for a continuous and active surveillance of this pathogen
