Abstract:Vibrioparahaemolyticus is an important foodborne pathogen,of which the O3:K6 serotype caused many outbreaks in different countries since 1996.Based on the 10 years data (1992-2001) from China,gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus accounted for 31. 1% of foodborne disease outbreaks that were resulted from microorganisms.Most environmental strains ofVibrioparahaemolyticus are non-pathogenic strains.However,clinical strains can producethermostable direct hemolysin (TDH),TDH-related hemolysin,and other virulence factors.Here we reviewed three commonly used molecular markers forVibrioparahaemolyticus,including species-specific genes,the virulence genesand pandemic group-specific genes,so that to provide references for the rapid detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the identification of its pathogenic factor.