| Summary: | This study aimed to determine the incidence and virulence factor profiling of <i>Vibrio</i> species from hospital wastewater (HWW) and community wastewater effluents. Wastewater samples from selected sites were collected, processed, and analysed presumptively by the culture dependent methods and molecular techniques. A total of 270 isolates were confirmed as <i>Vibrio</i> genus delineating into <i>V. cholerae</i> (27%), <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i> (9.1%), <i>V. vulnificus</i> (4.1%), and <i>V. fluvialis</i> (3%). The remainder (>50%) may account for other <i>Vibrio</i> species not identified in the study. The four <i>Vibrio</i> species were isolated from secondary hospital wastewater effluent (SHWE), while <i>V. cholerae</i> was the sole specie isolated from Limbede community wastewater effluent (LCWE) and none of the four <i>Vibrio</i> species was recovered from tertiary hospital wastewater effluent (THWE). However, several virulence genes were identified among <i>V. cholerae</i> isolates from SHWE: <i>ToxR</i> (88%), <i>hylA</i> (81%), <i>tcpA</i> (64%), <i>VPI</i> (58%), <i>ctx</i> (44%), and <i>ompU</i> (34%). Virulence genes factors among <i>V. cholerae</i> isolates from LCWE were: <i>ToxR</i> (78%), <i>ctx</i> (67%), <i>tcpA</i> (44%), and <i>hylA</i> (44%). Two different genes (<i>vfh</i> and <i>hupO</i>) were identified in all confirmed <i>V. fluvialis</i> isolates. Among <i>V. vulnificus</i>, <i>vcgA</i> (50%) and <i>vcgB</i> (67%) were detected. In <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i>, <i>tdh</i> (56%) and <i>tlh</i> (100%) were also identified. This finding reveals that the studied aquatic niches pose serious potential health risk with <i>Vibrio</i> species harbouring virulence signatures. The distribution of virulence genes is valuable for ecological site quality, as well as epidemiological marker in the control and management of diseases caused by <i>Vibrio</i> species. Regular monitoring of HWW and communal wastewater effluent would allow relevant establishments to forecast, detect, and mitigate any public health threats in advance.
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